Earth's Protectors: The Ultimate World Team Tournament
by nld200xy
Summary: A continuation of my Kinnikuman-inspired fanfic, Earth's Protectors, Machoke and his friends ready themselves for a tag tournament that Beedrill has announced. Unfortunately, Machoke is unable to find an ally. Can he find one in time? And will he be able to claim first like his father before him?
1. Chapter 1

Note: Something worth note is that this is a sequel, or rather 'midquel' if you will of another fanfic called Earth's Protectors. In fact, this was originally going to be the final story arc but after putting off the rest of it for so long, I decided to just end the story on a high note. However, lately I've been thinking about this and with two Pokemon introduced after I completed the original that I think would make for great newcomers, I've decided to go through with it. If you really wanna know what led up to this story, check out the original Earth's Protectors as this is a direct continuation of it, though it is 84 anime episode-length chapters long, so it will be a long read but probably worth it in the end. Also, obvious Disclaimer, I do not own the rights to the Pokemon franchise. Plus this story is heavily inspired by Kinnikuman.

It had been a year since the defeat of Giratina. It was still a mystery where he had gone and what he was doing, but either way, the world had been more peaceful since then. Sure, heroes would still have to face villains here and there, but none of them had even come close to being as threatening as the ghost dragon himself.

It was a fine day in Tokyo as Machoke and his friends decided to spend time at a local club downtown, that being their favourite place to hang out. The lizard-like boy was currently dressed in a black shirt and blue shorts while Gardevoir sported her favourite outfit, the red jersey and spiked collar Machoke had given her to help boost her confidence in battle. She rarely ever wore anything else and it strangely suited her, so everyone was fine with that.

Blaziken was dressed in a sleeveless top and pants while Gallade only wore pants, the boy still finding it unnecessary to get extra dressed up since heroes could actually get away with being naked. And joining the heroes were their three female human friends, Reika, Cici and Tsuya.

While the group sat inside the club on the sofa, Reika had a big smile on her face and sighed, "Scyther sent me another email today. Apparently, she's planning to come up and visit. The others have agreed to stay behind and look after LA for her."

Machoke grinned and replied, "That's great. We haven't seen her in a while," Gallade all the while looking down and sighing, "I wish Hitmonchan would visit more."

Gardevoir, who was seated between Gallade and Machoke, smiled nervously and patted her brother on the shoulder, saying, "There, there, at least she always thinks about you," the green boy nodding and pulling out his cellphone, opening up the Internet and saying, "That's true. She has sent me five emails today already."

He then let out a sigh and added, "Though I envy you, sis. You get to see your boyfriend all the time," Machoke grinning and replying, "Hey, look on the bright side. In two years, you'll be my brother-in-law," resting an arm on Gardevoir's shoulder.

Gallade gave him an odd stare before the two shared a laugh, Gardevoir joining them. Blaziken rolled her eyes at this and turned to Tsuya, asking, "So, any luck with 'Muscle Beak'?" the white-haired girl remarking, "I wish you'd stop calling him that. Deep down inside, Talonflame is a sensitive soul that just needs a little love and care, that's all."

She then let out a sigh and uttered, "Though he hasn't responded to any of my Facebook messages," Machoke raising an eyebrow and asking, "He has an FB account? Seriously?"

Reika then turned to Cici and asked, "So, how's your training been going?" Cici giving her a sweet smile and replying, "It's been going well," flexing her right muscle as Reika stared in envy.

Sure, she had seen these results before, but it still amazed her. After all, the black-haired girl had trained all her life to be a pro wrestler and yet from only a little over a year, her originally wimpy best friend had shown better results than her.

Even so, Reika was never the type to be jealous of friends as she grinned and said, "I am so proud of you. Maybe one day, we can be partners in the wrestling world," Cici blushing and uttering, "I'm not so sure about that. I'm mostly just doing this for self-defence."

At that moment, a round of drinks was brought to the group as the owner grinned and said, "A round for my favourite people in the world on the house," the others giving their thanks. As usual, everyone had some sort of alcoholic beverage save for Machoke and Gardevoir who still hated the taste of alcohol.

But while they drank, Blaziken noticed something on the TV, which was currently set to the news network. Specifically, it was a report from Hero Planet with Beedrill sitting at his desk with his arm stingers folded against it.

"Hello, everyone," the wasp stated as Machoke grinned and said, "Hey, it's Beedrill," the group hoping this would be good news. Normally when the chairman of Hero Planet gave an announcement, it was usually because of a crisis or something equally terrifying.

"I just have to say I am very pleased with how things are on Earth right now," Beedrill stated, "Crime is at an all-time low. Areas that were originally wrought with villainy have been peaceful thanks to the hard work of our capable Hero Planet graduates along with a few others who have decided to join the fight despite having not trained here."

"Well, what do you know?" Gallade asked with a grin, "It's good news for a change," Machoke sighing, "Thank god. Last thing we need is another villain coming back from the dead."

"With things going so well," Beedrill continued, "I have started set-up on something incredible. As you all know, last year marked the return of the Hero Olympics, something that used to be held once every two to three years but had not been seen in twenty. And now I have decided to hold something else that has rarely ever been seen, The Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

Interest had certainly risen now as even the other guests were fixated on the screen, Machoke picking his ear hole and asking, "The what now?" Blaziken staring awkwardly at him as if to imply that he of all people should have known this.

"It's been about the same number of years since this event was held," Beedrill stated, "Though as most people know, Machamp and Combusken won this tournament together."

Machoke nodded and said, "Now that rings a bell," the wasp adding, "Though unlike the Hero Olympics, this one is more difficult to get into. Many will sign up but only sixteen teams of two will be accepted. Originally it was eight teams, but I figured I'd give more heroes a chance at glory."

Machoke blinked as Blaziken smirked, saying, "Well, this sounds exciting," Beedrill adding, "In honour of the Hero Olympics taking place in Tokyo, we've decided to have this take place in the same location. Any hero willing to join must come to Tokyo to sign up, but to truly qualify, you must pass a serious test of teamwork to prove yourself worthy of the tournament."

"Of course," Machoke sighed as Reika smiled and said, "You should totally enter, Machoke. Lucario might join. This could be your chance to finally upstage him," the boy laughing nervously, not sure if he really wanted to face the dog in combat again.

The one time those two had fought in an official match, Machoke had wound up hospitalized with a broken spine. Sure, he had gotten over it, but it was still a painful memory. As if that was not enough, Lucario and Talonflame, another opponent Machoke would rather not face again, were friends now and would most likely team up for this.

But even so, the boy shrugged and said, "Well, I guess it could be fun," the others staring at him in shock.

Sure, Machoke had performed in the Hero Olympics despite being hesitant to join at first. But even so, it was not like him to just up and agree to partake in a series of tough battles when lives were not on the line.

"Well, I know who I'm teaming up with for this," Gallade said with a grin as he looked at his phone, biting his lower lip before noticing an email.

When he read its contents, a big grin formed as he exclaimed, "Yes! Hitmonchan agreed!" Gardevoir giggling in response to this as Machoke smirked, saying, "Funny, I thought for sure you'd want to team up with your sister."

The two green heroes chuckled as Gallade replied, "Well, long ago I might have, but Gardevoir doesn't need me, right, sis?" the girl nodding and replying, "Besides, I already have someone in mind."

Machoke blinked before nodding and grinning, saying, "Of course. Why wouldn't I agree to that?" Gardevoir biting her lower lip and uttering, "Sorry, sweetie, but I wasn't referring to you."

The boy gave her a look of disappointment as she whimpered, "I'm really sorry, but I was thinking of teaming up with Blaziken," the red and white chicken raising an eyebrow and asking, "Wait, me? Really?" Machoke nodding and reiterating, "Really?" the others equally confused.

"Of course," Gardevoir replied while smiling at Blaziken, "Remember in the Reverse World when we fought Blitzle and Aegislash?" Blaziken nodding and replying, "You're right. We actually made for a really good team," a grin on her face as Machoke uttered, "Oh yeah, I wasn't around to see that, was I?"

"Wait, those two fought together?" Tsuya remarked, "I didn't even think that combination could work!" Reika uttering, "Me neither," as Gardevoir and Blaziken laughed.

Gardevoir then gave Machoke a look of concern as the others bit their lower lips, not sure what to say. However, it seemed they had little reason to worry as the boy shrugged and gave his girlfriend a warm smile, saying, "Hey, if you two really make for such a good team, I look forward to seeing it," a grin forming on Blaziken's face.

Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief and gave Machoke a hug, squealing, "Thank you so much! You're the best!" kissing him on the cheek.

However, that did leave Machoke with one major problem, and this was made clear when Reika asked, "So, who are you going to team up with?" the boy's eyes widening.

However, he soon replaced his look of shock with a forced grin and replied, "Hey, we have friends in other areas. I'm sure I could get one of them to team up with me," Blaziken nodding and replying, "That's the spirit."

And soon enough, the group disbanded to head home. Needless to say, those partaking would need to prepare while Machoke looked for a team mate for the tournament. But while he had his doubts before, that was soon lifted when he remembered just how many friends he had made in his time spent on Earth.

As he returned home and entered, Aipom was in the middle of cleaning when she noticed him and smiled, saying, "Hey, Machoke. Say, in all this time, there is one type of match I've never seen you partake in," the boy sighing, "Save it. I'm joining the tournament."

The monkey's eyes widened. Not only was she shocked that he actually knew what she was hinting at but the fact that he was actually willing to join a tournament without hesitation was astounding. He had matured so much since his loss to Lucario, it was hard to believe this was the same boy who would get frightened every time a major conflict revealed itself.

"So, you teaming up with Gardevoir?" the monkey asked with a grin as Machoke sighed, "No, she's already partnered up with Blaziken," Aipom groaning, "Wait, so does that mean you're gonna be with Gallade?"

"What? No," Machoke remarked, "He and Hitmonchan have already agreed to team up. I'm just gonna call up one of my other friends," Aipom nodding and replying, "Oh, okay," glad that her student did not need her to remind him of that.

On that note, the boy headed to his room and whipped out his cellphone, looking over his contacts. He then let out a sigh and thought, 'Alright, let's see who we got here.'

The first name to stand out to him was Bisharp, though he figured the knight would most likely team up with Scrafty since the two had become quite formidable together since they became heroes. However, he then remembered someone he was certain would likely be happy to team up with him.

With that, he dialled up the number and held the phone to the side of his head, waiting in anticipation before getting a response, grinning and saying, "Hi, Lopunny."

The Indian rabbit grinned and exclaimed, "Hi, Machoke! What's up?" the boy replying, "Hey, just wanted to let you know there's a tournament coming up here," the rabbit saying, "Yeah, we all saw the report. We might get to face each-other again."

The boy blinked and uttered, "Actually-" only for the rabbit to cut in, adding, "I warn you, though, Heracross has been preparing for a rematch with you, so he's not gonna go easy."

Machoke stood silently for a few seconds before realizing where she was going with this. With that, he asked, "So does that mean Scyther doesn't have a partner?" Lopunny replying, "Not yet, but she has someone in mind," the boy nodding and replying, "Well, that's cool. I look forward to seeing you guys again," ending the call and sighing.

With that, he looked through the numbers again. He figured Tyrogue and the rest of the Hitmon family would likely have found partners already, so he did not bother with them. Though now this left him with fewer options than he figured he had.

He scrolled through more names and found one he could definitely trust, thinking, 'There's no way she has a partner,' dialling up the number and getting a response, a deep female voice exclaiming, "Machoke! It's been a while! How have you been?"

As it just so happened, the boy had called up Octillery, an octopus who had not only helped him with his entrance in the Hero Olympics opening ceremony but had also helped train him in his time of need. And after a bit of smalltalk, Machoke soon got to the point, asking her if she would be his partner.

The octopus gasped, "Oh, I am so sorry, Machoke! It's flattering that you'd want little old me on your side, but I already have a partner for the tournament," Machoke asking, "Wait, you mean Gothitelle's actually going to compete? I thought she hated this sort of thing."

"Well, it's funny," Octillery replied, "She actually saw this as a great opportunity to help Mawile build her self-esteem, so she's gonna fight alongside her," Machoke then asking, "Oh, then who are you with?" the octopus replying, "Kecleon."

Machoke went silent for a few seconds before uttering, "You mean the villain you defeated in the Reverse World?" Octillery nodding and replying, "Come on, you know we've made amends now. He and Mawile have been such a big help lately."

Machoke nodded and after talking a bit more, he said, "Yeah, I understand. It's all good," the boy giving a quick goodbye and hanging up, groaning, "This isn't good at all!"

He then called up Golduck. Perhaps she would be happy to team up with him. After all, she was currently his biggest fangirl, even more so than Gardevoir. But unfortunately, it seemed she already had a partner too, a friend of hers from Ireland.

With that, the boy took a deep breath. After all, it was not as if this was a life-or-death situation. Sure, his father may have partaken in every tournament, but that did not mean he had to do it, right?

However, that thought came to an end when Machoke imagined Machamp folding his arms and shaking his head. Sure, he did not seem like the type to do that, but the mental image was scary on its own, the boy groaning and bonking himself on the head, whining, "Come on, think!"

It was then he realized someone he could likely count on, quite possibly the best ally he could have. But as he scrolled down to his name, he bit his lower lip, thinking, 'Come on, it's all in the past. Just swallow your pride and do this.'

With that, he took a deep breath and pressed the icon for the contact, holding his phone up to the side of his head and waiting in anticipation. And soon enough, he got a response as a female voice said, "Oh, hey, Machoke. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Hi, Amanda," the boy replied, "Is Lucario there?" the girl replying, "Oh no, he and Clauncher have gone out to book a flight to Tokyo."

"Is this for the tournament?" Machoke asked as Amanda nodded and said, "I'd go too, but I have stuff I need to do back home," Machoke nodding and replying, "Does he have a partner already?"

"Well, yes, Clauncher," Amanda replied as Machoke's eyes widened.

After having seen the dog and Talonflame in action, he figured if Lucario did have a partner, it would have been the falcon. But as Talonflame had taken no interest in the Hero Olympics, Machoke figured he might not be interested in a team tournament either. Even so, he really should have known better seeing as Clauncher was the dog's first real friend since he quit villainy.

Unfortunately, this truly left the boy with no more options. He scrolled through his contacts just to see if he had missed anyone and sure enough, he had not. He really had no one to turn to right now.

With that, he let out a sigh and headed out of his room, Aipom turning and asking, "So, did you find someone?" Machoke not even dignifying that with a response as he headed out the front door. He needed to clear his head right now, so he did not wish to be distracted.

As he walked along, he could not help but find this all so unfair. He had been lucky to even get a spot in the Hero Olympics, but that was only because he had waited until it was quite literally too late to sign up. If the other contestants in the elimination tournament had not suffered horrible inconveniences preventing them from competing, he would not have had so much as a shot.

However, this time he chose not to wait until the last minute. Unlike the Olympics, he was actually eager to join this. After having come close to winning one tournament, he really wanted to take a crack at it again. Even if he did not win, it would have been nice to compete with his friends a second time.

"Why did it have to be a team tournament?" the boy groaned while seated on a bench with his chin against his hands, "Why couldn't it be a singles tournament like the Hero Olympics?"

As if that was not enough, would Machoke have even been ready for this? It was like Aipom said. He had never fought alongside someone else in a match before. He had always faced his opponents alone. Perhaps he would not have been ready.

However, his thoughts of doubt left him when he heard a familiar Spanish voice say, "Hey there, Senior Machoke. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

The boy looked up as his eyes widened. He could not believe it. Standing before him was a parrot he had not seen since the Hero Olympics ended, namely Hawlucha, the hero he had defeated in order to qualify for the competition. But why was he here?

Machoke was about to find out as he asked, "Did you decide to take a vacation?" Hawlucha shaking his head and replying, "No. I've decided to move here," the boy staring in stunned silence as he asked, "Are you sure that's okay? I mean, you still have an area to protect, right?"

"Oh no," Hawlucha replied, "I'm not a Hero Planet graduate like you. My family wasn't well-known enough for that. So I'm not really assigned to any areas," Machoke nodding and smiling, asking, "Still, what made you want to move here?"

"Well, remember how I became a big celebrity after almost cleaning your clock?" the parrot asked with a grin as Machoke uttered, "Uh, yeah?" before thinking, 'Did he have to put it that way?'

Hawlucha then shrugged and replied, "Well, as you know, my sponsor, Yoshigai, lives here in Tokyo. I figured after a year of getting long-distance orders, I may as well move here so he doesn't have to pay every time he calls me up. I told him all about it and he figures me working in the same location as the Hero Olympics would be muy bueno for business. The family's just settling in right now. As for me, I'm just looking around to get used to the place again."

Machoke grinned and replied, "Well, that's great. Now we can actually hang out," Hawlucha sporting a grin of his own and slapping Machoke on the shoulder, replying, "Si. It'll be so nice to spend time with you again, mi amigo."

At this moment, it hit Machoke like a brick. This must have been a sign. After all, Hawlucha was a very strong fighter. Like the parrot said, he had come very close to defeating Machoke in the elimination tournament. Perhaps this could work.

But then the boy realized this might not have been a good idea. After all, Hawlucha and his family had just moved to Tokyo. The last thing Hawlucha would have on his mind is partaking in a team tournament.

However, it seemed Machoke's thoughts might have been wrong as Hawlucha said, "By the way, Senior Machoke, I hate to ask this of you, but could you help me with something?" the boy nodding and grinning, replying, "Sure, anything for a friend," all the while feeling relieved. If anything, doing something useful could take his mind off of the tournament.

"You see, there was this news report earlier today about a team tournament," Hawlucha stated, Machoke's eyes widening as the parrot continued, "You see, Yoshigai wants me to compete and represent the company. But there's, well, a little problem with that."

Machoke blinked and asked, "Do you not have a partner?" Hawlucha hanging his head and sighing, "Si. I was hoping maybe you knew someone who could join me," Machoke's eyes sparkling as he had a big open-mouth smile that got bigger every second, the parrot adding, "I'd ask you to join me, but I assume someone of your stature would already have-"

"I'll do it!" the boy exclaimed with a big grin as he took Hawlucha's hand and shook it without warning, "I will be your partner in The Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

Hawlucha's eyes sparkled as he smiled wide, giving his friend a tight embrace as Machoke's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, the parrot exclaiming, "MUCHOS GRACIAS, SENIOR! YOU ARE THE BEST AMIGO A PARROT COULD EVER ASK FOR!"

With that, Machoke smiled and replied, "Hey, it's like I said. Anything for a friend," Hawlucha taking a deep breath and sighing, "Though I do feel sorry for whoever you were already teamed up with," Machoke shrugging and replying, "I'm sure he'll be fine with it. He didn't even want to be in the tournament anyway," the boy refusing to bring up the fact that everyone had declined his invite.

Either way, the boy could not believe how excited he was for this. A year ago, he would have passed this off as a waste of time, but now that he was used to this sort of thing, he felt more ready than ever before.


	2. Chapter 2

It seemed every hero planning on partaking in the Ultimate World Team Tournament was ready. Now that Machoke had an ally, no one needed one. Or so it appeared.

In Paris, a certain beagle with a paintbrush for a tail named Smeargle had just finished watching a performance from his ally and friend, Florges. Once it was over, he applauded her along with the rest of the audience, exclaiming, "Bravo! You are tres magnifique as always, Mademoiselle Florges!" blowing kisses to the flower girl.

Once her shift was over, Florges approached her friend and said, "Merci, Monsieur Smeargle," before holding up a handbag and asking, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

And soon enough, the two were off on a pleasant stroll through the area as Smeargle sighed, "I swear, sometimes I wish I wasn't so incapable of fighting the villains who attack these streets. Then you could focus on your beautiful singing and dancing all the time," Florges chuckling and replying, "You know by now that I enjoy fighting villains. After all, I get a bigger audience from it."

Smeargle nodded, remembering that matches were always shown on TV before groaning, "That means the whole world has seen all of my disgraceful failures!" holding onto the sides of his head and howling in agony as Florges laughed and remarked, "Don't be so hard on yourself, s'il vous plait."

Smeargle let out a sigh as Florges patted him on the shoulder, adding, "Actually, I have an idea. You have heard of the upcoming team tournament in Tokyo, non?" the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui. Everyone knows about that. So far, it's an even bigger deal than the Hero Olympics."

Florges nodded and replied, "Well, I'm certain Gardevoir and Gallade have already signed up, but what about you?" Smeargle's eyes widening as he bit his lower lip. A chance to not only see Gardevoir but also compete with her was tempting, but there was one thing keeping him from agreeing to such a thing.

Thus he sighed, "Look, I gave it a shot at the elimination tournament for the Olympics and failed miserably. I don't think this will be worth it," Florges sighing, "Is this all because you suddenly realized all of your fights have been televised?"

"Non," Smeargle replied, "In all honesty, I don't think fighting is for me. I may have gotten lucky and actually graduated from hero school, but let's face it, this isn't pour moi. Fighting, it suits you. You are just as talented at that as you are at performing."

Florges blinked and asked, "What are you saying?" the beagle sighing, "What I'm saying is that as of now, I have decided to retire from hero work. I'm much better at painting anyway, so I'll just make a living off of that."

Florges' eyes widened as she remarked, "But you can't just do that, can you!?" Smeargle retorting, "Oui, as a matter of fact, I can!"

He then growled briefly before taking a deep breath and sighing, "Pardon for snapping at you. I know you're trying to help, but it's really not helping. I'll call up Monsieur Beedrill and let him know about this. That way, they'll no longer send that monthly allowance to someone as helpless as moi. Maybe they'll find a suitable replacement who can serve as a real partner pour vous."

The flower girl was just about to retort to that, but it was too late as Smeargle bolted from the area. Tears ran down his cheeks as he could not help but feel bad about this. A part of him wanted to stop running and apologize for such a rash decision, but at the same time, he felt like he had wasted more than a year of his life doing something that was not meant for him.

However, as he turned a corner, he ran face-first into someone, both falling on their backs. The beagle slowly pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his head and groaning, "Pardon. I did not see you there," opening his eyes as he gasped.

He could not believe it. The one he had just run into was not human. Instead, this being was a bee with a honey-comb shaped abdomen, said part also resembling a dress. Her upper body was perfectly round and her arms were long, thin and black with two orange claws on the end of each one. She had lovely red eyes like rubies and a gem in the middle of her forehead.

Either way, Smeargle's gentleman nature kicked in as he approached the bee and held his arm out, helping her up as she said, "Thank you. You're too kind."

The beagle breathed a sigh of relief before gasping, "Where are my manners!?" before bowing his head and saying, "I am Monsieur Smeargle," before taking the bee's hand and kissing it.

The bug simply chuckled and replied, "No need to be so formal," Smeargle blinking and saying, "You must not be from around here. This is how we greet one-another in France," the bee nodding and replying, "So polite and charming. I could get used to that."

The bee then cleared her throat and said, "My name is Vespiquen. It is a pleasure to meet you," Smeargle sighing, "Well, it would be more of a pleasure if we met under better circumstances," the beagle turning away from her and hanging his head.

Vespiquen blinked and asked, "May I ask what's wrong?" the beagle just about to flee from the area before letting out a sigh.

In truth, a part of him just wanted to tell someone else what was bothering him. While Vespiquen may have been a complete stranger, something about her just seemed so inviting, like Smeargle could just trust her.

And with that in mind, the two took a seat on a bench as the beagle explained everything. He told her about the tournament, how Florges had suggested joining and how he just could not bring himself to fight anymore.

"But why?" Vespiquen asked as Smeargle sighed, "Because I am not worthy of being a hero on Earth. The fight I won to graduate was the only time I ever won, and even then, it was a fluke. No one seemed to notice, but I didn't actually earn that victory."

The beagle remembered it plain as day, like it happened yesterday. There he was in the ring with the oldest of the legends, a tan man who resembled an ogre with a red nose and protruding pink veins on his body named Conkeldurr.

Smeargle had been beaten constantly throughout the fight, and it made sense. This fighter had trained himself to be amazingly strong by carrying around a pair of rocks like walking sticks for years.

However, after taking in a fierce punch to the face, Smeargle wiped blood off his mouth and thought, 'Non, I have to win this. I promised myself I'd graduate so I could be a hero like Mademoiselle Gardevoir!'

With that in mind, he slowly got up and ignored the pain, charging at Conkeldurr and shouting, "TAIL BRUSH PUNCH!" sending the tip of paintbrush-like tail into the man's face.

Strangely enough, not only did the fighter not even attempt to defend himself, but shockingly, this weak-looking attack actually seemed to work as his eyes and mouth widened, the man falling hard on his back while the spectators stared in absolute bewilderment. That was the only attack that had actually landed throughout the entire match and yet it was enough to knock down one of the strongest fighters from the previous generation.

However, Smeargle did not initially look as happy as he should have to have won the match. In fact, he actually looked concerned as he had heard something while sprinting toward his opponent, the sound of something breaking. But he quickly replaced his concern with a wide smile as he cupped his hands together over his head, waving them in a celebratory fashion while everyone else applauded him.

Back in present time, the beagle took a deep breath and groaned, "You see, my move did not actually defeat him. I don't think it did much more than leave a light graze on his face. I had my suspicions, but the more I think about it, the more I can't help but think the only reason I won that match was because his back gave out. After all, while the other heroes are currently in their forties, Conkeldurr is in his sixties. He's not as physically fit as the others, and even they have lost strength over the years."

Vespiquen tapped her chin and replied, "That does sound pretty bad, but there's one thing that confuses me," the beagle giving her an odd look as she added, "I don't see why you would have needed a lucky break to have won that match."

"What do you mean?" Smeargle uttered as the bee replied, "I can actually feel a great deal of power coming from you. You see, I can gauge the strength of a hero by looking at him, and you are just flowing with potential."

"Non," the beagle replied with a light chuckle and shaking his head, "That's cute, but I know you're just being nice," Vespiquen shaking her head and remarking, "On the contrary, you don't realize just how great you can be. Trust me on this one, you are flowing with power that's just waiting to be released."

Smeargle stared in silence. A part of him wanted to believe this, but at the same time, it just made no sense to him. This bee was talking nonsense, so why did he not just get up and leave? Was his desire to believe her words stronger than his common sense?

"Do you truly believe that I have what it takes?" Smeargle asked, "Am I really as strong as you say? Because I don't feel it at all," Vespiquen nodding and replying, "Trust me on this one. Your problem is that you lack confidence. I'm certain you can do this, maybe even win the Ultimate World Team Tournament."

The beagle's eyes sparkled. Though he still doubted himself to some degree, something about Vespiquen seemed to convince him that her words just might be true.

As such, he got up with fire in his eyes and exclaimed, "At the very least, it won't hurt to try!" turning back to the bee and saying, "Merci beaucoup, mon amis. I will go and ask Florges to be my partner in the Ultimate World Team Tournament!"

However, just as he was about to leave, Vespiquen said, "That's not quite what I had in mind," the beagle's eyes widening as he turned to her, the bee adding, "Though it sounds ideal to work alongside a friend, it would be best if you team up with me. Florges may know you well, but she does not see the power inside of you like I do. I can help you unlock your hidden potential more than anyone else, so team up with me and I guarantee that first place will be yours."

Smeargle was just about to decline such an offer. After all, he and Florges had been good friends ever since the beagle graduated. And yet strangely enough, the minute he looked into the bee's eyes, he once again felt like he could trust her, like her words were all that mattered right now.

With that in mind, the beagle knelt down on one knee, kissing Vespiquen's hand again before saying, "If you can truly help me master my abilities, I will be more than happy to fight alongside you," the bee nodding and replying, "You won't regret this, but don't breathe a word of this to your friend just yet."

"Why not?" Smeargle asked with a look of confusion, the bee stating, "It will be so much better if you surprise her. Make her think you've lost your fighting spirit and then catch her off-guard by showing up at the very event you swore you wouldn't so much as approach."

"I hate to be dishonest, but it would be a very pleasant surprise for her," Smeargle replied with a nod, "Oui, I shall do that. Again, merci. You have given me hope," the beagle sprinting toward his house to get ready.

Vespiquen implied a smirk as she thought, 'Hook, line and sinker,' before flapping her wings and hovering along the sidewalk.

And so for the next week, heroes from around the globe prepared themselves for the tournament. Of course, many were also worried about what this big test of teamwork was, but they were sure they could pass it. After all, it could not have been nearly as difficult as the three-legged race in the Hero Olympics.

Machoke and Hawlucha seemed to to work very well during training. Both pulled out all the stops when sparring with each-other and despite Machoke having beaten Hawlucha when the two faced each-other, now they seemed evenly matched.

Currently, the two had their hands together, each one trying to push the other back. When neither succeeded after a few seconds, they let go and took many deep breaths, Machoke asking, "You up for a break?" the parrot nodding and replying, "Si. It's been a hard workout," the two taking a seat.

Aipom, meanwhile, peered out the window to watch them and smiled. She felt so proud of Machoke right now. It usually took a lot just to motivate him to train, and yet he had taken this very seriously. Perhaps the boy did stand a chance, especially with him and Hawlucha seeming to have rather good chemistry.

And of course, it was not just the two of them. Gallade and Hitmonchan had worked hard to make sure they both fought well together while Gardevoir and Blaziken practised the combination moves they had used on Blitzle and Aegislash, trying to develop ways to improve them. Needless to say, they were ready for this.

And soon enough, the big day came as many heroes came from their respective areas to compete in the Ultimate World Team Tournament. Naturally, Beedrill had come all the way to Earth to open up the event with Nori, Tokyo's main announcer, by his side.

Everyone was to gather in a building made specifically for the event, many people lined up outside as Reika took a deep breath, standing with her friends. While Tsuya and Cici were beyond excited to see the teams participating, they soon noticed their black-haired friend looking nervous beyond compare.

"Hey, Reika, you okay?" Tsuya asked as the girl replied, "Yeah, I just hope I look good enough right now," the girl wearing a nice sweater with her hair in a ponytail for a change, Tsuya rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure Scyther won't care too much," Cici said with a smile as she placed a hand on Reika's shoulder, "She likes you just the way you are," Reika sighing, "Yeah, I know. I just haven't seen her in a while."

Aipom stood next to her and sighed, "Honestly, I hope Machoke will be okay," Reika looking down at the monkey and asking, "What do you mean?"

"Well, they said since this tournament is team-based, trainers aren't allowed to assist their students," Aipom replied as Cici uttered, "Really?" Reika sighing, "You know, Aipom, Machoke has matured quite a bit. I'm sure he and Hawlucha will work fine together."

The monkey gritted her teeth and rubbed her temple, groaning, "I know, but I can't help it! I've been his trainer for so long! It's weird not being on the sidelines to give him advice!"

"Hey, look, the heroes are here!" one member of the crowd exclaimed as soon, the girls looked toward a designated entrance where the teams were headed. Machoke turned toward the girls and smiled wide, giving them a wave as Hawlucha patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, you can walk over and say hello. The door doesn't open for ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Machoke remarked as one nearby hero sighed, "We had to come super early and we still have to wait?"

Sure, this made little sense, but either way, Machoke was glad he could get at least some time to talk to his friends. But just as he was about to approach them, a certain green insect beat him to it.

"Hello, Reika," the insect said with a smile as Reika blushed lightly and replied, "Hey, long time no see," Machoke shocked to see Talonflame of all people approach her and sigh, "Dammit, Scyther, even when working on a team, you always gotta be first," the falcon folding his arms.

Cici blinked as Tsuya's eyes sparkled, the girl exclaiming, "Hey there, Talonflame! Did you get all my Facebook messages?" the falcon shifting his eyes back and forth and uttering, "Uh, no?" only for Machoke to walk over, saying, "Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Oh, thank god, a distraction," Talonflame sighed as Scyther turned and smirked, saying, "Hey, Machoke. We might actually get to face off this time," the boy grinning and replying, "I look forward to that."

And soon enough, Gallade, Gardevoir, Blaziken and Hitmonchan joined the group as well, all of them giving a nice hello. Lopunny and Heracross soon approached the group to have some small-talk as well, Cici eventually bringing up the one subject everyone was too distracted to point out.

"What are you doing here, anyway, Talonflame?" the blue-haired girl asked as Talonflame blinked, Aipom saying, "That's a good point. I didn't think you cared about this sort of thing."

The falcon shrugged with a grin and said, "Well, first of all, I've been out of the spotlight for too long, but also, Scyther figured we'd make for a good team, and now that she's no longer taking advice from Mommy, she needs all the help she can get."

Scyther gave him a cold look as the falcon laughed and exclaimed, "Come on, get a sense of humour!" patting her on the shoulder as the others groaned, "I didn't find that funny either," Machoke then blinking and asking, "So the ally I heard you were trying to get a hold of was Talonflame, then."

Scyther nodded and replied, "Ja. He may be a bit extreme, but he is a good ally," the falcon sighing, "I hate to admit it, but this working with others thing actually does feel pretty good. Just don't let me down like a certain British-"

However, he was cut off when a familiar voice came from behind him, asking, "A certain British what?" everyone turning to face a familiar blue dog with a white circle on his chest where a spike used to be.

Lucario let out a light chuckle and said, "You never change, Talonflame," Machoke grinning and asking, "Hey, how have you been? We haven't seen you in a long time either."

"Don't forget me," came the voice of a familiar blue lobster, namely Clauncher as everyone looked down, Machoke saying, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot you're Lucario's partner."

"Hey, yeah, why didn't you even think about asking me to team up with you?" Talonflame asked as Lucario sighed, "My first team match was with Clauncher. Besides, I already had a feeling you'd want to fight alongside Scyther," the falcon blinking at Clauncher smirked and said, "Watch out. Lucario and I may take on you two in the tournament."

She then winked at Machoke and added, "And don't think we'll go easy on you. Imagine if we ended up facing off in the finals, just like you and Lucario in the Olympics," Machoke laughing nervously.

However, while the group continued to talk, Machoke soon noticed something and exclaimed, "Hey, Hawlucha! You can join us, you know!" the parrot, who had stayed behind with the other heroes, blinking in confusion as the others signalled him to come over.

As he approached the group, Reika grinned and said, "I have to say, when I heard you and Machoke were teaming up, I was a little surprised," Hawlucha laughing nervously as Talonflame and Lucario rose their eyebrows, both asking, "Who's this guy again?"

Gardevoir smiled sweetly and said, "I'm glad you found yourself a teammate," before biting her lower lip and uttering, "And you are okay with me and Blaziken fighting together, right?" Machoke sighing, "We've been through this, honey. I'm perfectly okay with it."

At this moment, Florges watched Gallade and Gardevoir converse with their friends. Next to her was her partner, a white butterfly with a red face and wings that resembled angry eyes named Masquerain. As it just so happened, she was a personal acquaintance of the flower girl, thus she seemed like a suitable answer to Smeargle not wanting to join her in the tournament.

'I'm so proud of you, Gardevoir,' Florges thought with a delicate smile, 'I hope to face you at some point,' Masquerain nudging her side and whispering, "Is that your friend with the amazing chops?" Florges nodding and replying, "Oui."

However, the flower girl was caught off-guard when she noticed a certain beagle enter the area. She gasped as Masquerain said, "Oh, look, it's Smeargle," Florges replying, "Hold on a second."

With that, the flower girl approached the beagle as her butterfly friend nodded in understanding. Once close enough, Florges tapped Smeargle on the shoulder as he turned and said, "Oh, bonjour, Mademoiselle Florges."

"I must say, I'm surprised to see you here, mon amis," the flower girl stated, "Does that mean you decided not to retire?" Smeargle nodding and replying, "Oui. You may very well have been right. All this time, I've been so hard on myself, but apparently, I have a great deal of potential within me," a big smile on his face as Florges replied, "I'm glad you figured that out, but how, may I ask, did you come to that realization?"

At that moment, Vespiquen approached the beagle and rested a hand on his shoulder, asking, "Who's this?" Smeargle turning to her and saying, "Welcome back. This is my ami, Florges," the flower girl giving a curtsey as Smeargle added, "This here is my partner, Mademoiselle Vespiquen."

The bee gave a curtsey back and said, "A pleasure to meet the great Florges herself. I've heard your skills are quite legendary in Paris, and not just your fighting abilities," the flower girl smiling and saying, "You seem like a very nice person, Vespiquen. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the two shaking hands.

However, unbeknownst to either Smeargle or Florges, Vespiquen was studying the flower girl. Right now, all she could think about was how to prevent her from qualifying for the tournament. But why? What exactly did the bee have against someone she had never even met?

With that in mind, she bowed her head and said, "Wait here, Smeargle. I need to attend to some business right now," Smeargle nodding and replying, "Be back soon. The door opens in four minutes," the bee nodding and hovering off toward another area.

At that moment, the other heroes decided to return to the line for the same reason as Gardevoir noticed her two friends from Paris, a big grin on her face as she squealed, "FLORGES, SMEARGLE!" the two turning to her as big smiles formed on their faces, the two giving her a tight embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

Gallade looked down until the two did the same for him, the boy sighing, "Good to see I'm not being ignored," Hitmonchan folding her arms while glaring at Florges, Gallade sighing, "We've been through this. It's a French custom."

This was the moment Masquerain decided to join the conversation and introduce herself to the others. But while all five heroes talked amongst one-another, Vespiquen had hovered over to two other heroes.

One was a short light-purple being who resembled a genie. He had a pink V shape on his chest and bands of the same colour around his wrists. He also had two black horns sticking out the sides of his head, a golden ring around the left one. His hands also floated as he seemed to have no arms, a golden ring also attached to his lower body like a life preserver. Finally, the being had green eyes, a gem on his forehead of the same colour and a pink ponytail.

The other was a rather short sylph with grey skin and a lovely white dress. Her eyes were red with pink pupils and instead of hair, atop her head was a big pink crystal, four pointy ones sticking out the side as if to resemble locks of hair. She also had a beautiful golden necklace with a small pink diamond attached to the middle.

"Good, you're here," Vespiquen said with a smile, the genie asking, "So, did you find yourself the perfect partner?"

The bee nodded and replied, "Mark my words, Hoopa, I've never found a more perfect specimen. He'll make a great tool in our success, but I fear his friend might make things difficult for us."

"And what friend is that?" the genie remarked, folding his hands as Vespiquen replied, "One by the name of Florges," the sylph nodding and saying, "I know who that is. She's quite famous."

As Vespiquen had not seen Gardevoir and Gallade talking to Smeargle, she did not know of them or their connection to him and as such, it seemed her and her allies had only one target. But what exactly did they plan to do?

Whatever the case, it was not good as the genie, Hoopa, grinned wickedly and said, "Don't worry about a thing, Vespiquen. Diancie and I will take care of her. Though I hope this ally of yours really is as good as you say. You may be strong, but a weak ally in a team match can put even the best of fighters at a major disadvantage."

No one seemed to know who these two were, but one thing was for certain. They were bad news. Hopefully, Florges would not fall to whatever they had planned.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: For those who haven't read the original and just decided to read this anyway, I'll point out right now that certain Pokemon designs have been altered so they work for this kind of setup. Such examples include Talonflame, who has arms in this story, Metang, Magnemite and Masquerain, who have torsos with their usual bodies actually being their heads and for story purposes, Diancie has been given legs, though the main reason I went with that decision will be revealed later.

Soon enough, the doors were open as everyone was allowed access to the building. Machoke gave a quick wave to his friends as he headed toward the hero entrance along with Hawlucha and all the other participants. Needless to say, there was a lot of competition as more than fifty teams had come to compete. Whatever Beedrill had planned to reduce that number to sixteen must have been a real deal-breaker.

And sure enough, the bleachers were filled as Reika looked around, sighing, "We came early and still couldn't get front-row seats," Aipom shrugging and replying, "I feel lucky we're as close to the front as we are," the girls all in the third row.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came a familiar male voice as the people all directed their attention to a desk located high above the ground behind a window, Beedrill and Nori behind it as the wasp added, "Welcome, one and all, to the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the people all cheering.

"This is sure to be a very exciting event!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, "We have many contestants from all over the world, but remember, only thirty-two of them will make it to the tournament! So without further ado, let's meet the teams participating in the elimination round!"

The crowd went wild as all of the heroes participating entered the area. Many waved to the crowd while others tried to maintain a serious look, but all-in-all, every one of them was determined to make it past the first test.

Despite having already seen them earlier, Reika and her friends still cheered heavily when they saw Machoke and the others. The boy waved to the crowd as he thought, 'It's been a while,' Hawlucha saying, "Not gonna lie, Machoke, I've missed the applause."

Hoopa and Diancie seemed fixated on the two right now as the genie nudged his partner, whispering, "You know who that is, right?" the sylph nodding and replying, "Yeah, he's the one who defeated Giratina. Do you want me to keep him out of the tournament?"

"Actually, no," Hoopa replied with a smirk, "I want him of all fighters to make it. I want to be the one to defeat him," his partner blinking as he sighed, "With your help, of course."

"Right, I knew that," Diancie replied with a light smile, but while her face did not completely show it, she was really happy to hear Hoopa say that he wanted her help. But why did that excite her so much?

There were also a few other familiar faces among the crowd. Golduck waved to Machoke with a grin on her face, the boy waving back. Her ally was a large white creature named Abomasnow.

"Is that the guy you keep fangirling over?" her asked as Golduck nodded, sporting her 'Machoke Rocks' T-shirt with a big grin, all the while saying, "I hope I get to face him. I want to show him how much better I've gotten now that I no longer rely on water all the time."

The cyborg, Metang was also amongst the crowd with his partner, Starmie. It seemed ever since the two fought in the Olympics, they had formed a good friendship, Metang actually helping Starmie improve her fighting abilities.

However, right now the cyborg was focused on Lucario. He looked rather malicious until the dog turned to him with a nod, an apologetic look on his face. He remembered full well the horrible things he had done during their match, the way he had used his Force Palm to destroy both of Metang's forearms. Though luckily, they had been repaired, so it was not as if the hero had been crippled as a result of the fight.

However, there were a few others Machoke was surprised to see there. Barbaracle, his first opponent in the Olympics, was teamed up with an orange pig named Pignite. The barnacle noticed Machoke and gave him a quick wave, his eyes implying a smile as the boy waved back.

"You make a lot of amigos, don't you?" Hawlucha said with a grin as the boy nodded and noticed the kitsune, Ninetales among the participants. Ever since her change to the side of good, she had made quite a few friends including her partner, an anteater named Heatmor.

Of course Hitmonchan's siblings, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop and Tyrogue were there as well. Hitmonlee and Hitmontop were partnered up while Tyrogue was paired up with his ally, Dodrio. Gallade and Hitmonchan both gave them a quick wave to which they of course returned the action with their own waves.

Just as Machoke suspected, Bisharp and Scrafty were among the crowd, both of them on a team. There was no way either of them would accept anyone else as his ally.

However, two particular teams no one was surprised to see there was the combination of Magnemite and Squirtle along with the twin brothers, Throh and Sawk. One thing these duos shared in common was that they rarely ever fought by themselves, so naturally a team tournament was right up their alley.

But just as the crowd was ready to settle down, Beedrill gave everyone a rather devious look as he stated, "Before I reveal the big test, I have a little surprise for all of you," everyone even more interested now as the wasp pointed his stinger up toward the sky.

The crowd and the heroes all looked up to see the silhouette of a butterfly fluttering in front of the sun. She then proceeded to dive-bomb toward the ground before coming to a halt, Beedrill opening up the window and flying outside to join her.

"This here is Butterfree, my partner!" Beedrill exclaimed with excitement in his eyes, the butterfly giving a small wave and exclaiming, "Hello, people of Tokyo!"

The crowd was rather confused by this as the two landed gently against the ground, Beedrill explaining, "That's right, folks! I'm going to participate in this tournament!" everyone truly astounded by this, Blaziken and Aipom especially taken aback by this.

Both knew full-well that something like this had never happened. For years, Hero Planet's chairman had always been forbidden from putting himself in danger, and that included fighting in tournaments. However, it seemed ever since Beedrill put his life on the line to help the others defeat Giratina's allies, he had been making quite a number of adjustments to the rules, which until now had never been tampered with.

During this time, his father, Weedle and his friend and former love interest, Elebuzz were watching this on the sports network, Elebuzz turning to the caterpillar and saying, "You don't look as upset about this as I thought you'd be."

"No point in complaining," Weedle replied with a shrug of his tail, "He's a better chairman than I could ever hope to be. Honestly, I'm interested to see how he does, though I'm not sure I approve of him teaming up with a former villain."

"But isn't our son also a former villain?" Elebuzz asked in response as Weedle blinked and replied, "You know, I'd almost forgotten about that."

Needless to say, the crowd was still trying to wrap its head around this, but soon enough, they realized just how exciting this was and figured it would be interesting. After all, only Machoke and the other students who had graduated with him actually saw Beedrill in action. Most people did not even know about his fight against Butterfree as that had taken place in the Reverse World.

With that, the butterfly smirked at the wasp and jokingly said, "I'll try not to take all the glory," Beedrill snickering and remarking, "You upstage me? Are you sure it isn't the other way around?"

"Look, can you end the banter and get to the point already?" Talonflame asked, Lucario rolling his eyes and sighing, "Impatient as always."

However, Beedrill had to admit the falcon had a point as he cleared his throat and said, "Yes, the test," pointing at Nori and exclaiming, "Take it away!"

Nori nodded and explained, "We have set up a very special race to really test your teamwork," Machoke groaning, "Oh, come on, not another three-legged race!"

Some of the others looked disappointed as well. Unlike Machoke, it was not so much the idea of having to run a long distance again but rather the fact that Weedle had already done this in the Hero Olympics. It felt desperate in that sense.

"Actually, this is a different kind of race," Beedrill replied as Butterfree rose an eyebrow, asking, "It is?" Gallade uttering, "You mean he didn't tell his partner about this in advance?"

With that, he pointed to a mountain that served as the stadium's western wall, stating, "I would like to bring your attention to this mountain right here! See, the test to see who will make it to the tournament is a race up this mountain! You will use teamwork and cunning to make your way to the top, and the first sixteen to make it will be our qualifiers! Any questions?"

Everyone stared in shock as Machoke groaned, "On second thought, I think I'd rather go with the foot race," Dodrio's middle head exclaiming, "Oy, this is unfair! We don't have arms!" Tyrogue now a tad worried as the head's sisters had to agree with their brother on this one.

"That's why you'll need to work together and find other means," Beedrill stated as many heroes were still unsure of this.

However, Talonflame shrugged and remarked, "You're all acting like a bunch of babies. A true hero would be able to scale this mountain without any problems," Lucario nodding and adding, "I'm sure we can climb it easily, can't we?" Clauncher exclaiming, "Damn straight, buddy!"

Scyther nodded as one other hero retorted, "Easy for you to say, Talonflame! You have wings!" Beedrill replying, "About that, as someone with wings myself, I think it would be unfair to use them to get to the top," many shocked to hear this as he and Butterfree had their wings shackled together by a staff member, the butterfly actually aware of this as the wasp added, "As such, any winged hero has been forbidden from flying. You will make it to the top using your own natural abilities."

And sure enough, every other winged creature had his or her wings shackled as Hawlucha expected the same for him. However, since he could not actually fly with his feathered arms, Beedrill felt it unnecessary to give him the same handicap.

The same went for Hoopa seeing as his flight was caused by hovering. And it was not long until one hero noticed this, pointing at him and asking, "What about him," the genie blinking as Beedrill replied, "As long as he stays by the mountain's side and uses his hands to climb up, he's fine," the genie breathing a sigh of relief as Diancie patted him on the shoulder with a light smile.

However, when Gardevoir finally noticed the two, she and Cici had a look of doubt on their faces. It seemed something about these two gave them bad vibes, but they could not put their fingers on it.

Scyther turned to Talonflame and asked, "Will you be okay with this?" Talonflame smirking and remarking, "Hey, I may not have spent my life never using my wings for combat like you, but I can still function without them."

"Something else worth note that you won't be bound to your partner like in the three-legged race," Beedrill explained, "That means if your partner falls, it's up to you to make sure he or she doesn't hit the ground below. And I don't think I need to tell you this, but if such a thing happens, you and your teammate will get an automatic loss."

Now a few other heroes were worried about this, but most of them felt like they could manage this. Unfortunately, this did seem to lower Smeargle's confidence as he trembled and uttered, "Okay, that is actually kind of scary," Vespiquen sighing, "Worry not. I have full confidence that you can handle this. And if you fall, I will catch you," the beagle nodding and taking a deep breath.

Butterfree then nudged the wasp as he chuckled nervously and said, "There is some good news, though. I want to avoid as much injury and possible death as I can, so trampolines will be set up in front of the mountain shortly after we start climbing," Machoke breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Already I like this guy more than Weedle."

But just as the heroes were ready, Beedrill said, "Oh, one more thing-" all of the others falling on their faces before getting up and glaring, the wasp sighing, "Sorry, but this is important," Butterfree asking, "Can I tell them this? I want to say something," the wasp nodding.

With that, the butterfly cleared her throat and stated, "Unlike the races in the Hero Olympics, heroes are not allowed to attack others in order to get the advantage. This is a test of teamwork, not fighting skills and thus anyone seen directing an attack at another team deliberately will be disqualified."

Some of the heroes were distraught by this but eventually accepted the terms. However, Vespiquen was really worried. After all, Hoopa had sworn to make sure Florges would not make it to the tournament, and this meant using their powers.

But when she turned to look at Hoopa and Diancie, neither looked all that nervous about this. If anything, Hoopa looked pleased, almost as if this rule actually helped him, but how?

"With all of that out of the way, I guess it's time to begin," Beedrill stated as the crowd cheered, Machoke sighing, "We can do this, right?" Hawlucha nodding and giving the boy thumbs up, saying, "Worry not, mountain climbing is one of my many specialities."

However, Aipom bit her lip, uttering, "I really hope he can do this. Mountain climbing isn't exactly something I can see Machoke doing," Reika sighing, "True, but he has a knack for these things. Don't forget how close he came to losing the three-legged race."

Gardevoir, on the other hand, actually looked scared. Though she had become much braver since her match with Scrafty, the idea of being so high up off the ground was terrifying. Luckily, though, her fears were put to rest when Blaziken rested a hand on her shoulder and held her thumb up.

With that in mind, each team came to the side of the mountain, claiming a different spot as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, on your marks, get set, go!" the woman ringing a bell as all of the heroes started to climb.

For most heroes, this was not too difficult, though others used different means to make it easier. Lucario, for instance, used his wrist spikes like pick-axes, Clauncher doing the same with her claws. Metang did something similar with his fists, only because they were so strong, he was able to create holes in the mountain to use as leverage.

Dodrio did have a bit of trouble at first but ultimately decided to use their Drill Peck ability to create small holes of their own, using their beaks like Lucario used his wrists. Needless to say, Tyrogue was glad they had actually come up with something.

Octillery, meanwhile, used the suction cups on her legs to help carry her up with Kecleon using his tongue to grab onto any ledges and protruding rocks he could find. And of course, many others found their own methods of which to go about it.

And as per the rules, Hoopa and Diancie only used their hands to climb up the side of the mountain, the sylph turning to her partner and asking, "So, how are we going to take care of Florges if we can't attack her?" Hoopa remarking, "Who says we can't?" directing his eyes toward his horn ring with a wicked smirk.

Vespiquen, meanwhile, was feeling rather annoyed as Smeargle had to cling to her to prevent himself from falling. A look of terror came over him as the bee sighed, thinking, 'I know this will be worth it in the end. I just have to endure this."

However, one hero who surprisingly seemed to be struggling was Machoke. He had a look of pain on his face as he slowly reached for a ledge only for it to come off immediately after he touched it. The boy's eyes widened as he looked down below only to find he had only climbed a couple of feet.

"Oh, come on!" he groaned as Hawlucha used a free hand to pat him on the shoulder, a smile on his face as he said, "Come on, mi amigo. You can do this," the boy taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, grunting, "Right."

As such, he started to climb a bit faster. However, his confidence started to leave him when he noticed Hawlucha propel himself off of a ledge while using his feathers to help him reach higher heights. And if he was representing himself, this would have been fine, but there was a big problem with this.

"Hey, you know we both have to cross together, right!?" Machoke exclaimed as the parrot hung from a ledge and looked down, blinking before laughing nervously and uttering, "Apenado, Machoke. Sometimes I forget it's not as easy for others."

With that, the parrot allowed himself to descend to the boy's level. But while he looked perfectly calm, those watching looked disappointed, or in the case of Reika and Aipom, annoyed.

"Oh god, there's no way he can do this!" Reika groaned, "The others are already a fifth of the way up!" Tsuya sighing, "I hate to say it, but yeah, it's not looking good."

Aipom bit her lip and whimpered, "Why didn't I ever teach him this? It could have helped," Reika patting her on the head and sighing, "Hey, you didn't know he'd ever have to climb a mountain. That's not your fault."

Machoke seemed to think the same thing as Hawlucha smiled and took his hand, saying, "Come on, Senior Machoke. It is not too late to make up for lost time. Where there's a will, there is always a way."

The boy let out a sigh and uttered, "I hope you're right," as Hawlucha started to guide his hands and feet to the right spots. Sure, they were moving gradually, but at the very least, Machoke had started to gain a bit of confidence as a result.

Diancie peered down and noticed this, saying, "I hate to break it to you, Hoopa, but your dream opponent is currently dead last. I don't think you're gonna get that match you wanted," Hoopa smirking and remarking, "That's what you think. It's finally time to initiate operation ETC, eliminate the competition."

Though of course, the first opponent he would need to take care of was Florges and thus he studied her movements. Currently, she and Masquerain were in tenth, giving them a very good chance of making it to the tournament. Surprisingly, Florges had little trouble scaling a mountain as she used a similar technique to that of Lucario and Dodrio, only she had formed vines around her arms in the shape of lances to put her own holes in the mountain, Masquerain clinging to her for support.

"Oh, clever girl," Hoopa said with a smirk as the flower girl in question smiled and said, "Look, Masquerain, we're already doing an amazing job, non?" the butterfly nodding and replying, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Hoopa looked around and asked, "Anyone watching us?" Diancie shaking her head and replying, "No," the genie smirking and saying, "Good," before shouting, "DEMONIC RING!" swinging his head sideways before releasing his horn ring, said item turning sideways as spikes sprouted from it.

The ring moved at a surprisingly fast speed, so fast in fact that no one saw it fly straight through Florges' vines, cutting the tips off as her eyes widened, the flower girl starting to descent as Masquerain tried to flap her wings before suddenly remembering they had been shackled together.

Luckily, though, trampolines had been positioned in front of the mountain shortly after the heroes started their ascent and thus, the two managed to land on one. Florges breathed a sigh of relief as Nori exclaimed, "And with that, Florges and Masquerain are no longer allowed to continue!"

Masquerain groaned in disappointment as her shackles were removed, Florges sighing, "Pardon, Masquerain. I thought for sure my vines would be stronger," Masquerain's look shifting to anger as she growled, "No, that wasn't your fault. There was fowl play involved, and when discover how it was done, I'm gonna find whoever did it and report them."

Needless to say, though, Masquerain was not the only one concerned about this. Both Gallade and Gardevoir looked down at their friend, feeling sorry for her as Blaziken sighed, "There's nothing we can do. Come on, let's avenge her failure, partner."

Gardevoir nodded with a light smile and replied, "Right," the girl actually having to be guided through the climbing process similar to Machoke only she had gotten help right away and thus was performing much better.

Smeargle, having been oblivious to Vespiquen's plan let alone her connection to Hoopa and Diancie, was equally concerned as he exclaimed, "MADEMOISELLE FLORGES!" only for the bee to sigh, "What's done is done. She'll be even more disappointed if you don't make it to the tournament," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui."

With that in mind, his concern was replaced by a shocking amount of confidence as he suddenly took hold of a rock formation, saying, "Merci for carrying me, but I can climb this mountain on my own," Vespiquen's eyes widening as she could not believe what had just happened. Rather than lowering his spirits, Florges' failure had actually given him more of a drive to succeed. He was one step closer to reaching his full potential, but there were still many more steps to cross before that could happen.

However, even with one team out of the way, Hoopa did not feel this was good enough as Machoke had not gotten enough of a grasp on climbing to pick up the pace yet. And while Hawlucha seemed perfectly patient with him, the genie was not as he said, "It's risky, but we may have to deal with a few others."

Diancie bit her lower lip and replied, "Alright, but try not to get caught," a look of concern on her face as the genie nodded and replied, "But of course. Think about who you're talking to."

It seemed Hoopa really was crazy enough to go through with this, but would his plan truly succeed or would he be found out? Either way, Masquerain fully intended on discovering the truth and if she did, he would be in serious trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

While Machoke had started to improve thanks to Hawlucha's help, he would really need to pick up the pace if he was to even get a spot in the tournament. After all, most of the teams were half-way to the top already while the boy and parrot were only a third of the way.

Machoke looked up and groaned, "There's gotta be a faster way to do this," Hawlucha replying, "If you're comfortable climbing faster, then that will be the key to our success," the boy sighing, "You make it sound so easy."

The parrot then thought hard about this while the two continued to climb. After a few seconds, he blinked and said, "Hold on. I have something that could help us," Machoke blinking and asking, "What?"

During this time, Gardevoir and Blaziken continued their ascent when Gardevoir's hand slipped off of one of the rock formations, her eyes widening as she started to fall. Luckily for her, though, Blaziken was right next to her as she held her hand out, taking a hold of the girl's wrist and saying, "Hey, come on, girl, I can't save you all the time," a grin on her face.

Gardevoir breathed a sigh of relief and gave the chicken a light smile, squeaking, "Thanks, Blaziken!" the two resuming their climb.

One team that seemed to be struggling was Gallade and Hitmonchan. Gallade was doing fine, but due to the fact that his girlfriend always wore boxing gloves, this was a major challenge for her. Seeing her struggling, Gallade let out a sigh and gave her a warm smile, asking, "You wanna ride on my back?"

The girl turned to him and blushed, uttering, "But won't that make it harder?" Gallade sighing, "Nonsense. I can handle it."

However, he very quickly regretted it almost as soon as suggested it when Hitmonchan wound up heavier than he thought she would be, the boy gritting his teeth as sweat poured down his face. Hitmonchan could feel his body trembling as she blinked and uttered, "You okay, Sweetie?" the green boy gulping and fibbing, "Yeah, I'm perfectly fine!"

Meanwhile, Hitmontop and Hitmonlee were doing an incredible job with the younger sister hanging to her brother's legs while he did most of the climbing. And unlike Gallade, he was perfectly fine with this as the two had actually planned this from the get-go, Hitmontop having never been particularly good at rock climbing.

"You managing down there, sis?" Hitmonlee asked as the girl nodded and replied, "Yep. I'm all good, bro."

'Not for long,' Hoopa thought with a smirk as they just happened to be a few feet from him, Diancie looking around and saying, "Now."

With that, the genie proceeded to fling his horn ring again while exclaiming, "DEMONIC RING!" only this time, the ring encased itself in stone as it ran into Hitmonlee's hands at an incredible speed.

The boy's eyes widened as he winced in pain. But just as he was about to fall, Hitmontop jammed her tail spike into the side of the mountain, using it to hold herself in place while preventing Hitmonlee from falling, both hanging upside-down now.

Hitmontop let out a sigh of relief as she asked, "You okay?" Hitmonlee groaning, "Aside from the blood rushing to my head, I'm fine. Thanks, sis."

However, his tune would change soon enough. Naturally, Hoopa's ring had a boomerang effect and as such, it had to return to its owner. With that in mind, the ring flew back and struck Hitmontop's tail, the girl crying out in pain as her spike was removed from the rocky material, both siblings falling onto a trampoline thus losing the race.

Reika stared at this with her eyes wide open as Aipom uttered, "I really hope Machoke's being extra careful right now," only for one of the cameras to focus primarily on him and Hawlucha as Nori exclaimed, "Oh my god, what are those two doing up there!?"

And this was certainly a good question as Hawlucha was currently balancing on two rock formations while doing the splits, Machoke standing atop his shoulders and clinging to the side of the mountain, shouting, "OH MY GOD, ARE YOU INSANE!?"

Aipom and the others were thinking the same thing right now as Aipom squealed, "OH MY GOD, MACHOKE, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET GO!" the others too shocked to point out the fact that the boy could not hear what she had said from all the way up there.

However, Hawlucha had a different plan as he sighed, "Machoke, if you want to make up for lost time, you will have to trust me," the parrot taking hold of his ankles and adding, "I will propel you up a long distance and you will throw you arms up when I tell you to."

Machoke still looked frightened as he retorted, "I should have known this couldn't really work," only for Hawlucha to sigh, "Look, I know I am not Aipom or one of your other good amigos, but I know what I'm doing. Let go of the side."

Something about the tone in the parrot's voice seemed to sooth Machoke's nerves, but only by a little bit. Luckily, though, this was enough to convince him to let go as Hawlucha threw his arms up, shouting, "SKY-HIGH TOSS!" Machoke beyond terrified as he was flung twenty feet into the air.

Luckily, Hawlucha managed to leap up to his level just as quickly as one would expect as he exclaimed, "NOW, MACHOKE!"

With that, the boy lifted his arms up, grabbing onto two rock formations thus preventing himself from falling back down, the parrot standing atop two other rock formations right above the boy with his arms folded, nodding his head in approval. Seeing all of this on-screen, the crowd could not help but be impressed as they cheered wildly, Machoke smiling wide and taking hold of Hawlucha's hand when he stretched it out, the two resuming a more steady climb.

Even the other heroes stopped what they were doing to stare at this in total awe. What the two had just done was incredibly dangerous and yet it had worked out so swimmingly. Then again, only Machoke could possibly pull off a miracle like that.

Reika wiped sweat off of her forehead and sighed, "Who else but Machoke?" Aipom uttering, "Wow, Hawlucha's a genius."

Hoopa seemed rather pleased by this, but was alarmed when the other heroes started to climb faster in response. It was then that the genie noticed one team climbing at an alarming rate, specifically Sandslash and her partner, a dinosaur-like being with a head like a horseshoe crab named Kabutops.

Since Sandslash had claws and Kabutops had sickles for hands, not to mention each one's incredible speed, both had the potential to make the number one spot. And while Hoopa knew full well that Machoke and Hawlucha would only need to take number sixteen at least to make it into the tournament, these two just happened to be close enough to be considered worthy of elimination.

With that in mind, Hoopa turned to Diancie and said, "I don't think I can hit those two with my ring. You'll need to intervene."

Diancie bit her lower lip and said, "We already eliminated the team we set out to take care of. Isn't that good enough?" Hoopa sighing, "Diancie, we've been through this before. I'm the leader, so I know what I'm doing."

The sylph nodded and replied, "Oh, of course. Sorry, sir," her cheeks turning light pink as she held tightly onto a rock formation and quietly said, "Gem growth."

With that, four small gems formed in the holes that each hero had just formed with their respective sharp body parts. As such, both sets were forced away from the wall as the two started to fall. However, they would not let this keep them down as Sandslash was just about to plant her claws back into the side of the mountain with Kabutops planning the same thing.

But just as they were about to do so, Hoopa saw this as a perfect opportunity now that they were no longer moving too quickly for him and sent his ring into each one's arms, only this time small flames were shooting out of small holes that formed around it. As such, both cried out in pain before falling hard into a trampoline below, both letting out sighs of disappointment.

While Kabutops was beating himself up over this, Sandslash asked, "Hey, did you feel something hit your hand?" the crab dinosaur replying, "Now that you mention it, yeah, but I didn't see anything."

Masquerain frowned upon hearing this as she thought, 'I knew it. There is fowl play,' Florges sighing, "Three teams in a row. I'm amazed no one else has fallen yet."

As it so happened, a few teams soon followed, but not due to Hoopa's actions. Some heroes got tired after a while and others were simply not cut out for mountain climbing. Some teams did not work as well as one would have expected, and their constant bickering and inability to work together cost them a spot in the tournament. One flying type had even tried to remove his shackles and was soon disqualified when a staff member spotted him doing it.

But despite all of this, there were still forty teams left, so it was anyone's game. And as it so happened, one team doing exceedingly well was the combination of Beedrill and Butterfree. In truth, neither had expected to perform so well, but Beedrill had used his arm stingers to great effect while Butterfree's stubby arms actually proved more useful than she should have imagined.

"You hanging in there okay?" Beedrill asked as Butterfree smirked and remarked, "I'd ask you the same thing," both carrying on.

One team that had made an impressive comeback since their insane tactic used earlier was Machoke and Hawlucha. Both had managed to make their way to fourteenth as Machoke beamed and exclaimed, "Hey, look! We're doing great!" Hawlucha nodding and replying, "Si! We're gonna make it!"

Shockingly enough, even Smeargle and Vespiquen were doing an amazing job. It seemed ever since the beagle's confidence rose and he started climbing without the bee's help, both had really picked up the pace, a big smile on Smeargle's face.

"Wow!" the beagle exclaimed, "You might just be right about me, Vespiquen! I'm doing better than I could have ever imagined!" the bee nodding and implying a smile with her eyes, saying, "I can't argue with you there. You're doing an amazing job."

Gardevoir and Blaziken had also improved immensely. After a while, Gardevoir had started to gain a bit more confidence in herself and thus was moving at a much faster pace. It also helped that Blaziken seemed made for this sort of thing and thus was able to move on ahead as well.

But just as it seemed like smooth sailing, one other team had the same plan as Hoopa. These specifically were two snakes, Serperior and Arbok.

Serperior had a rather lovely look to her with dark-green skin along her back and a lighter shade of green down her front. However, the skin was peeled open around the neck area to reveal a light shade of green on her head and white on her front side. She had narrow red eyes and two pointed yellow extensions on the back of her head that resembled ears. And on the end of her tail were three leaves.

Arbok, on the other hand, was a purple cobra with what looked like a face with a coal-black mouth and big red eyes on his hood. Either way, both were eyeing Machoke with sinister looks as Arbok asked, "So, is this the one who ruined your chance at making it to the Olympic finals?"

Serperior nodded and replied, "The same," as Arbok said, "Well, we can't attack them otherwise we'll be disqualified, so let's aim for something else."

With that in mind, both winked at one-another and leaped up to a rather big rock formation, slamming their tails into it like they were kicking it. However, to the untrained eye, it looked like they had used it for leverage and thus it appeared to be a complete accident when the formation started to crack along the area holding it in place.

Machoke was the first to notice this as he started to panic, Hawlucha exclaimed, "DODGE TO THE RIGHT!" but it was too late. As the parrot did just as he had suggested, Machoke was too late as the rock hit him hard in the skull, causing him to let go as he started to fall.

The audience could see this from the distance as many panicked, Aipom shouting, "NO!" Nori exclaiming, "And due to what appears to be an unfortunate circumstance, Machoke is falling! Will he save himself from disqualification?"

Hawlucha would surely help him with that as he leapt down to Machoke's level, digging his claws into the side of the mountain so he would not fall and taking hold of the boy's hand. Machoke slowly opened his eyes as he looked down with panic. However, that fear left him when he looked up and gave a light smile to his saviour, Hawlucha breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Come on, let's show them that we won't be pushed around, eh?"

"Are you sure we can do that?" Machoke remarked, and his question was sound.

Even with the miraculous save, both had lost their advantage. Not only had they been bumped down to twenty-fifth, but almost every team was dangerously close to the top, so much so that the two would need a miracle just to place twentieth.

Though as was already established earlier, Hawlucha seemed to be that miracle as he smirked and said, "Well, you ready to try our tactic again?" Machoke biting his lower lip.

However, after coming so close, he could not throw this chance away and thus, he took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Yeah, let's do it."

All the while, Hoopa glared down at this, growling, "Dammit, I'm gonna make sure those two pay for ruining my plans," Diancie gasping, "Come on, you've already eliminated enough teams! Please, just leave well enough-" only for the genie to glare at her, the sylph nodding and sighing, "Right, sorry."

And with that, Hoopa once again sent his ring, this time having it change into stone again. However, just as it was about to hit the snakes, Arbok slipped when a rock formation broke open under his tail, Serperior catching him. As a result, the ring, which had been aimed at where they were heading, passed right over their heads and returned to Hoopa, the genie growling, "Dammit. I guess we have no choice," he and Diancie resuming their climb up the mountain.

The rock collapsing did seem to at least distract the snake duo long enough for them to lose fourteenth place to fifteenth, but even so, that still meant they had a chance, which Hoopa wanted them to lose. Not so much that he honestly believed it would help Machoke and Hawlucha's chances but that he wanted vengeance on the snakes for ruining his plan.

Meanwhile, unlike before when Gardevoir was the one most concerned about Machoke, Blaziken was the one wincing this time as she uttered, "Let's just keep climbing. I can't look at this," Gardevoir actually smiling as she replied, "Actually, I think they'll be okay. Look."

Blaziken slowly turned her head and gazed upon where the girl was pointing and sure enough, Machoke was once again standing atop Hawlucha's shoulders while the parrot performed the splits on two rock formations. Seeing the two attempting this again with Machoke more competent made it seem like the two might just stand a chance after all, and thus Blaziken could not help but smile.

The same went for Machoke's other friends. Though they did not let themselves get distracted from their climb up the mountain, they still wanted more than ever for their friend to make it to the tournament, so right now, they prayed that this method would work a second time.

And much like before, Hawlucha hurled Machoke high into the air, the boy now confident as Scyther and Talonflame turned to see this, both smirking. Talonflame wanted a rematch with Machoke ever since the two fought over a year ago while Scyther had always wanted a chance to face him, what with him being the former champion's son.

Lopunny and Heracross, meanwhile, gave him a quick cheer while Scrafty grinned, exclaiming, "Attaboy, Machoke!"

However, just as he and Hawlucha were about to make their way into tenth place, their eyes widened when they noticed no rock formations to hold onto. The parrot gulped and uttered, "Non, I miscalculated," Machoke turning to him and barking, "WHAT!?"

However, just as it seemed helpless, four gems suddenly stuck out of the side of the mountain as both heroes immediately took advantage of this, taking hold of the protrusions. They dared not question where these came from as this was a true miracle to take advantage of.

And seeing this once again given a lot of focus from the cameras, the crowd could not help but applaud this as Reika sighed, "It's just one close call after the other with him, isn't it?" Aipom nodding and saying, "I could have sworn I didn't see those formations there before, but who cares? This is awesome!" her black-haired friend ruffling the hair atop her head and replying, "Now you get it. Not everything has to be questioned."

"Thanks," Hoopa said to Diancie with a grin as the sylph sighed and replied, "I knew you wanted them to make it."

Machoke and Hawlucha were both handing in stunned silence until it suddenly dawned on them that the other heroes were picking up the pace now, one team passing them as they nodded and resumed their climb. Though Arbok and Serperior also did so, the green snake glaring at Machoke.

"Calm down," Arbok said with a smirk, "We can get our revenge in the tournament," Serperior blinking and nodding, saying, "You're right," a grin forming on her face.

And soon enough, the teams finally started to reach the top starting with Hoopa and Diancie. Despite all of their meddling, they had managed to avoid slowing down and thus managed to place first.

"And we have our first qualifiers!" Nori exclaimed as the crowd went wild, Lucario and Clauncher almost immediately following them, the two grinning at one-another while the lobster leapt up to the dog's height so the two could share a high five.

Following close behind in third were Scyther and Talonflame, the two smirking as their wing shackles were removed. And Bisharp and Scrafty were not far behind, Scrafty blinking and uttering, "I can't believe we actually managed forth," his knight friend nodding and replying, "Yes, I would have been happy with tenth, but this is something else."

Gallade and Hitmonchan, despite their disadvantage earlier, had actually managed fifth place as it seemed carrying his girlfriend long enough had improved Gallade's strength quite a bit. Needless to say, he actually felt more prepared for the tournament now as he smiled lightly and said, "Wow, honey, we did it."

Hitmonchan nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek while Lopunny and Heracross came in sixth. Naturally, Lopunny was extremely excited about this as she bounced up and down with her arms in the air, Heracross raising his arms and making peace signs with his tiny claws.

Octillery and Kecleon, having been one of the few teams not to struggle too much throughout, had managed seventh with the chameleon smiling and thinking, 'I hope you're watching, family. I want you all to see that I've finally mastered the camouflage technique.'

Throh and Sawk quickly followed the two in eighth, both giving each-other a high five as now Gallade was a tad worried. He could not help but wonder if his sister would make it as Hitmonchan patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Come on, have a little faith."

Gothitelle and Mawile, despite both seeming unfit for this sort of thing, had actually made it. Mawile's hair, or rather her mother had helped her a lot, what with her ability to tolerate the feel of stone against her powerful jaws while Gothitelle had used her powers of darkness to help strengthen her grip on the material. Needless to say, Mawile was happy to have a spot in the tournament while Gothitelle was just glad she could have her chance. She had still barely gotten used to being out in the sun without an umbrella to cover herself.

Metang and Starmie had come in tenth, the cyborg looking down at his ally and saying, "Good job," Starmie nodding and replying, "We're gonna kick some ass, right?"

And just as Gallade was starting to worry more, his mind was put at ease when Blaziken and Gardevoir finally reached the top, taking eleventh place. The chicken grinned at her partner and said, "Good job, Gardevoir. You were more ready for this than you thought," the girl taking a deep breath and replying, "Well, you did help me a lot."

However, she was cut off when Gallade ran over to her and gave her a tight embrace, exclaiming, "SIS, YOU MADE IT!" Gardevoir smiling sweetly as the group then peered over the edge, hoping Machoke and Hawlucha could still make it.

At that moment, Vespiquen and Smeargle had emerged in twelfth as the bee breathed a sigh of relief, turning to her partner and saying, "Good job, Smeargle. You really impressed me," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui. I never thought I was capable of such a thing."

Following close behind were Beedrill and Butterfree, the wasp noticing this as he exclaimed, "Sweet! We're actually gonna compete!" his butterfly partner sighing, "You act like thirteenth is a major accomplishment."

Magnemite and Squirtle were in fourteenth as the turtle grinned at her partner. With that, both pounded their fists together, both of them surprisingly the least exhausted of all the heroes. This was mostly due to Magnemite having come up with a tactic to get them into the tournament without them having to move too quickly or strain themselves.

Serperior and Arbok had come in fifteenth while Machoke and Hawlucha were close behind in sixteenth, the snake glaring at the lizard-like boy. However, before Machoke could notice, Gardevoir immediately gave him a big hug, planting a kiss on his lips as his cheeks flushed pink, the boy wrapping his arms around her.

"Whoa, Senior Machoke, you are quite the player," Hawlucha said with a grin as Blaziken rolled her eyes and jokingly said, "Get a room, you two," patting Machoke on the shoulder and adding, "But seriously, good job, man. I was hoping I'd get to compete with you."

And seeing this on-screen, Aipom and the girls cheered heavily, Aipom sighing, "Of course he made it. He always pulls off miracles like this," Reika nodding and adding, "But seriously, Hawlucha's a much better ally than I would have expected."

Hoopa, meanwhile, grinned at the sight of this. He cared not about who else had made it, just that he had a chance to face Machoke. And of course, Diancie was just glad to see him happy, and the fact that she had helped with that made her feel better.

Soon enough, the other teams made it to the top as well, all of them disappointed not to have placed within the top sixteen after all of their hard work. But either way, it was finally time to figure out the order of which the matches would take place.

With that in mind, Beedrill nodded as the cameras were now focused on him, the wasp standing before the other teams and stating, "Everyone, you've all put up a great struggle, but we have now determined who will face off in the tournament. As you all probably remember, the order in which the teams fought in the Olympics was chosen at random."

"Yeah, I remember that," Machoke groaned, reminiscing of the time he had been launched into a slot that would decide his place thanks to an arrow with a plastic ball attached to the end. His was the only one that broke and thus he was the only one to take in pain from it.

"Well, that's not the case this time," Beedrill added as everyone was much more interested now, the wasp explaining, "The fights will take place in descending order based off of what place everyone was in. This means Machoke and Hawlucha will face Serperior and Arbok in the first round, Squirtle and Magnemite will take us on in the second round," nodding at Butterfree before adding, "and so on and so forth."

He then brought up a chart with the orders as Lucario turned to Hoopa and Diancie, Clauncher grinning and saying, "We can take these two, right?" the dog nodding and replying, "Of course."

Scrafty and Bisharp grinned at their opponents, Scyther and Talonflame both smirking at them with their arms folded. Sure, they had no ill will toward one-another, but they were still serious about their upcoming match.

Meanwhile, Hitmonchan eyed Lopunny and Heracross and nudged Gallade, the boy nodding. After all, he had lost to Scyther in the next gen tournament and he figured a chance to take on her allies would be a good way to gauge whether or not he was worthy of a rematch with the insect.

Octillery waved at Throh and Sawk as both smiled nervously, waving back as Sawk sighed, "This brings back painful memories," Throh chuckling and replying, "Come on, you looked amazing," the blue boy remembering when Machoke had him and the octopus dress in female dancer outfits just so he could make a grand entrance at the Olympics opening ceremony.

Metang seemed rather disappointed that he could not get his rematch with Lucario, but he still intended to defeat Gothitelle and Mawile, Starmie beyond excited just to have a chance at the spotlight again, especially now that her skills had improved. And of course, Gardevoir gave Smeargle a sweet smile, bowing her head to him.

The beagle grinned nervously and gave her a light wave. Unbeknownst to Vespiquen, him facing Gardevoir would be much more detrimental than if he had faced Florges in the tournament. Florges may have been a great friend and ally to him, but Gardevoir was his best friend. The two had known each-other since childhood, so to face her, and in the first round no less left him beyond nervous.

Beedrill and Butterfree eyed their opponents, Beedrill saying, "Careful with these two. Magnemite is known for his great strategies," Butterfree sighing, "I saw them take on Absol and Blitzle. They both lost in a matter of minutes. Trust me, I'm not the least bit scared of them."

And while Serperior gave Machoke a menacing look, making a neck-slitting motion with her finger, Machoke stared in confusion. It was just like when he faced Barbaracle and Golduck in the Olympics. Both had it out for him for personal reasons, but what was Serperior's?

Either way, the matches would take place in the Tokyo Dome in three days, so all heroes were to head home and prepare themselves. Needless to say, this was exciting and the audience could not wait for the first round.


	5. Chapter 5

With only three days before the tournament officially began, Machoke and Hawlucha intended to work on their skills. But before that, they decided to celebrate with their friends at the usual club. After all, unlike the Hero Olympics, everyone protecting Tokyo had made it to the fighting tournament this time.

Machoke rose a glass of fruit punch and exclaimed, "HERE'S TO US!" him and the others clinging their glasses together as Blaziken smirked, saying, "This is great! Just think, we might end up facing off against each-other."

Gardevoir nodded and bit her lower lip as Machoke laughed nervously and said, "Don't hold back if we do, alright, honey? I want you to treat me like any other opponent," the girl nodding with a sweet smile and replying, "Of course."

Gallade, all the while, smirked and said, "Oh, and Machoke, don't feel too bad if we end up beating Lucario before you do," the lizard-like boy giving him an awkward stare and asking, "Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Gallade then let out a sigh and groaned, "Yeah, you're right. Even if we did make it that far, I probably wouldn't stand a chance," Gardevoir patting her brother on the shoulder and replying, "There, there, that's not what he meant."

Machoke turned to Blaziken with his eyelids lowered and whispered, "That's totally what I meant," the chicken snickering in response to this.

Reika simply beamed and said, "I still can't believe it. You came so close to failure," Tsuya then looking around and asking, "Where's Hawlucha anyway?"

Machoke blinked and replied, "Not sure. I told him where and when to meet up with us," only for the door to open when a certain parrot stood there, only he was dressed in a fancy suit and tie, straightening said article of clothing and looking as proper as could be.

However, it was not long until he noticed everyone else was dressed casually, all of them staring awkwardly at him as he blushed lightly, grinning nervous and rubbing the back of his head. And with that, he walked over to the couch Machoke was seated at and sat next to him, still looking beyond embarrassed.

"I told you this wasn't that kind of club," Machoke groaned as Hawlucha sighed, "Apenado, I've never been to a city club before. I always assumed they were fancy and high-class, you know, that sort of thing."

The others chuckled in response as Machoke patted his shoulder, saying, "It's alright. Now you're the classiest one here," Hawlucha laughing and exclaiming, "That's true, isn't it!?"

At that moment, another set of familiar faces entered, namely Scyther and Lopunny. Unlike the parrot these two had actually been to the club before as Reika waved and exclaimed, "Hey there, Scyther!"

The bug waved and took a seat next to her, saying, "This is nice. We finally have a chance to hang out," Lopunny squealing, "I've been looking forward to this all day!"

Machoke let out a sigh and said, "Yeah, once this is over, Aipom's gonna have us train non-stop. I can just tell she's been wanting to do that since Hawlucha and I started working together."

"Guess you can't take the trainer out of an eleven-year-old, eh?" Hawlucha asked with a shrug as Machoke sighed, "Yeah, sometimes I wish she went to school like normal kids."

"So, how have you been?" Reika asked as Scyther replied, "You know, at first I actually missed taking advice from my mother, but ever since I became independent, I feel like my life has actually improved. I still feel like I've gotten stronger from training, but at the same time, it's nice to have fun every now and then."

At that moment, Scyther and Lopunny were given drinks as Gallade nodded and held up his own glass, saying, "Hey, let's toast to a fair match three days from now, eh?" the rabbit nodding and replying, "Of course," the two clinging their glasses together

"Now that you mention it, where's your partner?" Lopunny asked as Machoke replied, "I could ask you and Scyther the same thing."

Gallade took a deep breath and replied, "Hitmonchan and I have agreed to a date later and she's gone to make plans on where to go," Blaziken raising an eyebrow but refusing to question the fact that the girlfriend was the one making plans, especially since Gallade knew the city a lot more than she did.

"Heracross decided to stay at home and rest," Lopunny stated, "After that long climb, he feels really tired," Machoke replying, "I can't really blame him."

"So, what about Talonflame?" Tsuya asked with a big grin, "Is he just late? Is he coming here?" Scyther replying, "Nein," the human girl pouting and looking down as the bug added, "He's decided to look around Tokyo a bit before training. He figures this might be his last chance for a while."

That seemed rather odd due to the fact that Talonflame had spent nearly a week in Tokyo during the Next Gen Battle, but even so, no one questioned it. But after everyone had brought up the subject of heroes who had not shown up, Gardevoir had just thought of something as she bit her lower lip.

"What's wrong?" Machoke asked as the girl sighed, "Now that you mention it, I invited Smeargle to join us after the race. He agreed to come but then sent me a text saying he couldn't. I asked him why but he hasn't responded."

"Wow, that's not like him at all," Gallade replied with confusion, "He's usually so eager to spend time with you," Machoke shrugging and replying, "He's your best friend from Paris, right?"

Gardevoir nodded as the boy grinned and added, "Well, maybe he's just really nervous about fighting you. He probably thinks that seeing you before the match will distract him from training or even make him regret joining the tournament in the first place."

"You know, that would make sense," Blaziken replied with a shrug, "You did say he's never been fully confident in himself when it comes to fighting, right?" Gardevoir nodding with a light smile and saying, "You might be right. Maybe the reason he didn't tell me is because he didn't want me to feel at fault."

"Well, there you go," Gallade said with a shrug, "Perfectly logical explanation," only to notice Gardevoir still a little nervous, the boy asking, "You're not getting cold feet yourself, are you?"

"Well, no," Gardevoir replied with a cute smile, "It's just amazing that Smeargle finally gets his wish of facing me in an official match. He really wanted to when we both joined the Grenoble tournament. But unfortunately, he lost the first round to my finals opponent. He tried to cover it up, but I could tell he was really upset about that."

She remembered it plain as day, that event over a year ago when she and Smeargle had joined the elimination tournament where the winner would qualify for the Hero Olympics. The very first match was between Smeargle and a perfectly round blue mouse named Marill.

The match between the two had only gone for two minutes, and yet not only that Smeargle not landed a single hit, he was also lying on his back, covered in bruises. Marill stood atop the turnbuckle and folded her arms, laughing at this, using the sphere on her tail to hold herself up.

"What were you thinking joining a tournament?" she asked with a smug grin before bouncing up and down with the help of her tail, "You're so weak that victory's already in my grasp. You are nothing more than a small stepping stone to help me on my way to the top."

Smeargle tried to get up but found himself barely breathing at this point as Gardevoir got up and squeaked, "COME ON, SMEARGLE, YOU CAN DO IT!" only for Marill to bounce high into the air, exclaiming, "BOUNCING AQUA TAIL!" a blue aura surrounding the spherical tip as she spun vertically toward her downed opponent.

"Pardon, mon amis," Smeargle uttered weakly, "I guess we won't get our fight after all," Marill's tail ramming itself hard into his gut as he coughed up blood and passed out, his head tilted sideways while his tongue was sticking out.

And thus, the bell was rung as the announcer exclaimed, "And the winner of the first match is Marill!" the crowd going wild as the mouse waved happily to the crowd, seeing her opponent as nothing more than a loser who was not even worth taunting.

After defeating her own opponent, a blue giant salamander named Quagsire with a powerful Moon Hook, Gardevoir went to check up on Smeargle. Shockingly enough, he had been the only hero hospitalized after his match despite this normally being a common thing in any tournament. Gardevoir could only imagine that this must have lowered his spirits even more than a single loss would.

And when she went to check up on him in the hospital, Smeargle looked up with shock, like the fact that she had come to visit him was a genuine surprise for him. However, that quickly died down as he replaced his shock with a smile and said, "Bonjour, Gardevoir. Did you win your match?"

"Yes," Gardevoir replied as she asked, "Are you okay?" the beagle staring at her for a few seconds before placing his hand against the back of his head with a grin, replying, "I am perfectly fine. I'm used to failure at this point, you know?" the beagle laughing, "I knew I was gonna lose the first round anyway. I'm just disappointed I didn't get to face you, that's all."

Back in present time, Machoke stared at Gardevoir and said, "Wow, I actually feel sorry for him," as the girl nodded and replied, "Yeah, I could tell that smile was all an act. Deep down, he was hurting, as if he wanted this to be his first victory on Earth more so than any other match he had fought. When I went to Paris and reunited with him, I could tell he was actually comfortable letting Florges do all the protection work for him, but I get the feeling that moment, the moment where he lost in front of a huge number of French fans had crushed his spirits."

But just before things could get even more depressing, the door opened up. Gardevoir was shocked to see Florges of all people there, the flower girl sighing, "Dieu merci, I finally found it."

At that moment, a few people in the club looked up as one nudged her friend, saying, "There's that awesome singer I told you about, the one I went and saw when I went to Paris," the other girl's eyes sparkling as she said, "She's pretty."

The flower girl approached Gardevoir with a smile and said, "Bonjour, mon amis," the green girl getting up from her seat and squealing, "Florges! I didn't know you'd be here today!"

With that, both gave each-other a big hug while kissing one-another on the cheek, Machoke blinking and saying, "Oh yeah, that's how French people greet each-other, right?" Gallade nodding and adding, "Sometimes we shake hands, but yeah."

"I heard you and your friends would be here today," Florges replied, "It seems the people here know your hangout spots really well," Gardevoir grinning cutely and replying, "That's great. Hey, wanna try out the karaoke machine?"

The flower girl turned toward it, her eyes sparkling as her mouth hung open. After all, it had been a while since she last performed and she had started to miss it.

However, she immediately shook her head and replied, "Maybe later. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

Machoke's eyes widened as he asked, "Is this a private thing? Because we can give you space," Florges chuckling and replying, "It's perfectly alright, Monsieur Machoke, but merci beaucoup. I can see why Gardevoir likes you so much."

With that, the flower girl took a deep breath and placed her hands against Gardevoir's shoulders, saying, "It's regarding your match with Smeargle," Gardevoir nodding and sighing, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that, actually."

"Bien," Florges replied with a sigh, "Anyway, I don't want you taking Smeargle lightly when you face him. You and I both know he's not exactly the best fighter among us," Machoke whispering, "That sounds like an understatement," as Gallade shushed him, Florges continuing, "I'm actually kind of worried about him. I asked him to join me in the tournament and he refused."

"He did!?" Gardevoir squeaked, her eyes wide with shock as the others were just as surprised to hear this as she was.

Florges nodded in response and added, "He told me he was going to retire from hero work and make a living as a painter, and yet for whatever reason, this Vespiquen girl has convinced him to keep fighting. I'm grateful that she's given him courage, but at the same time, I can't help thinking that might not be enough. I fear that if you hold back, he may actually reconsider retirement and I don't want him to just up and quit when I know he has the potential to be great someday."

"You sure about that?" Machoke remarked as Reika and Scyther both smacked him on the back of the head, Florges looking deep into Gardevoir's eyes and saying, "Promise me you'll treat him like any other opponent. He wouldn't want you to insult him by holding back."

Gardevoir gave her friend a sweet smile and replied, "Of course. I wasn't going to, anyway," the flower girl blinking and replying, "Well, bien. I just wanted to make sure."

Hawlucha blinked and said, "You and your amigos sure are interesting," Machoke nodding and replying, "You have no idea."

With that, Florges was just about to take her leave when Gardevoir said, "Hey, you can hang with us if you'd like," shifting her head and eyes toward the karaoke machine as the flower girl bit her lower lip, soon caving in.

And it was not long until everyone in the club was an instant fan of her singing, all of them applauding her when she finished a song. Needless to say, even when fighting was the biggest focus, one could not take the performer out of her.

And soon enough, the friends were ready to head home. All of them gave their cheerful goodbyes, prepared for two days of intense training. Needless to say, it had been a fun little break for them, Hawlucha really glad to be an official part of the group now.

When the parrot arrived home, his siblings and mother were there to greet him, all of them beyond happy. And it made sense. He had successfully qualified for the tournament and his folks were ready to see him fight up-close after more than a year.

The strange thing about his family, though, was that Hawlucha was the only non-human in the family. This was due to the fact that he had been adopted, unlike Lucario where while his mother and sister were human, his father was a dog like him.

Hawlucha's older sister, Isabel, gave him a quick hug and said, "Congratulations, hermano. I'm glad we'll get to see you compete," the parrot laughing and exclaiming, "Don't forget my awesome companero!"

Isabel was not so sure how to react to that until the mother bowed her head and replied, "Si, you and Machoke will make for a very good team. I'm just happy there's no bad blood between you two."

Hawlucha's younger sister, an eight-year-old named Lea jumped up and down, squealing, "Hermano's gonna crush those snakes!" Hawlucha grinning and flexing his muscles, replying, "You'd better believe it, Lea."

Isabel then took a deep breath and said, "I'm very happy for you, but are you sure Machoke would make a good teammate? You two did fight each-other in the Tokyo tournament, remember?" Hawlucha shrugging and replying, "Si. That's why I know he's a good ally for me. I pulled out all the stops and he still defeated me. Can you imagine anyone better?"

Isabel bit her lower lip as her mother sighed, "Isabel, try to follow your hermano's example and be a good sport. After all, Machoke is a fellow hero. It's not like he lost to a villain, right?"

"Exactamente," Hawlucha replied with a grin as an alarm went off, the mother smiling and stating, "Well, cena is ready. Let's celebrate Hawlucha's victory today," Lea squealing with excitement as Hawlucha took a nice whiff and said, "Oh-ho, you made cactus salad and hake today. Estupendo," the parrot running toward the dining room.

And with all said and done, the rest of the day went by quickly, as did the next couple of days. Naturally, those competing in the tournament were training hard, all except for Hoopa and Diancie. Instead, they were using this time to have fun and look around Tokyo, but why? Was it over-confidence, laziness or were they so good that they did not need training?

Whatever the case, things would not be easy for them, especially since their first opponent was the Hero Olympics champion. Not to mention Clauncher was a lot tougher than she looked, so this would be interesting for sure.

And once the three days were up, it was finally time for the first round to begin. Unlike the Hero Olympics where the location of the matches kept changing, Beedrill decided to make things simpler by having all of the matches take place in the Tokyo Dome.

And needless to say, many had arrived to witness the event. Of course Reika and her friends were there, only this time Keiko, Reika's mother, had arrived as well. There was no way she was going to miss Machoke's first team match.

And while they had failed to make it to the tournament themselves, Golduck and Barbaracle refused to miss this. Sure, some Olympic contestants such as Garchomp and Ninetales had not arrived, but this was mainly due to the fact that they had chosen to stay in their respective areas in case something happened during the tournament.

However, unlike during the Olympics when these two had not shown up until the second round, both Ralts and Kirlia, Gallade and Gardevoir's parents had arrived to watch their kids fight. After all, they were not sure if they would get another chance, and if this meant using up a week of their vacation time, it was worth it.

The two had gotten front-row seats as Kirlia sighed, "I can't wait to see our little girl in action again," Ralts nodding and replying, "Yeah, we might get to see her win up-close this time."

The two remembered full-well when their daughter went up against Garchomp in the quarter-finals. Despite doing her absolute best, she performed the worst out of all the heroes in that round, barely standing a chance. But thanks to her training with her aunt, Psyla, she had become immensely stronger than one could have ever imagined and as such, her parents were certain she could stand up to anyone now. Kirlia, especially, wanted to see just how strong she had gotten.

A middle-aged woman in a cloak had also arrived, though this was no ordinary woman. As she got close to the stadium, she removed her hood briefly to reveal herself to be the red bug, Scizor, Scyther's mother. She had a serious look in her eyes as she thought, 'I won't give you advice, Scyther, but I will watch your matches. I simply can't miss this.'

However, she put her cloak back on mostly because she did not wish to be seen by Scyther. After all, the day her daughter lost to Ninetales in the Olympics was the day Scizor swore she would no longer look after the bug and would let her think for herself. After all, while Ninetales had been a villain at the time, one thing she said that was certainly true was that Scyther could have been a much better fighter if Scizor had allowed her to be independent long enough for her to come up with her own strategies.

If Scyther saw the red bug watching her, she could very well get the wrong idea. After all, while calm and collected a lot of the time, Scyther had a temper that out-weighed that of Blaziken.

And of course, Florges was there with Masquerain, the butterfly sighing, "We really should be competing. I swear, when I find out who robbed us of our chance-" the flower girl sighing, "We'll think about that later. Today, I just want to be here to support Gardevoir, oui?"

Masquerain nodded and sighed, "You're right. I've seen her matches on TV. She's actually pretty cool," a smile on the butterfly's face now as Florges nodded, saying, "I'm just glad I get to see one of her matches for once. I'm always working whenever she gets in a fight, so this is really exciting."

Golduck was of course beyond excited to see Machoke as she still wore her T-shirt that she had made herself, Abomasnow saying, "I look forward to seeing your biggest idol in action," the duck smirking and replying, "You're in for a treat, I can tell you that much."

And soon enough, the seats were filled as Nori sat behind a desk and exclaimed, "Welcome, one and all, to the first round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering wildly as the woman added, "The fighters have all come up with their own team names and submitted them, making it a lot easier to decide what to call them when I announce them."

Hawlucha's family sat in the front row much like Reika, Aipom and the others and wondered just what kind of name the parrot had come up with. Isabel, especially, hoped Machoke had little involvement as he was known for coming up with weird ways to introduce himself to a crowd.

Aipom, all the while, watched intently and said, "The tension is killing me. I just want the match to start already! I'm so used to being the one joining him by the ring!" Keiko chuckling and rubbing the hair atop her head, saying, "I'm looking forward to this too, Aipom."

Of course, those not competing in the match were also in the crowd with Blaziken folding her arms and sighing, "Well, it's been a while. Let's see what he came up with for an entrance this time," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Maybe Hawlucha steered him away from doing something stupid."

Gardevoir uttered, "I hope not. I really like his entrances," Lopunny nodding with a grin and replying, "Oh yeah, his are the most creative and unexpected I've ever seen," the others groaning, "You say that like it's a good thing."

With that, Nori pointed toward the Eastern entrance and exclaimed, "In the red corner, two incredible fighters with amazing spirit! One placed second in the Hero Olympics and has saved Tokyo countless times from various villains, including the legendary Giratina! The other is a powerhouse who came close to defeating his very teammate with his unbelievable skills! Presenting the Flying Muscles!"

The crowd started to cheer as Isabel breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "That actually sounds dignified.

However, the cheers slowly died down when both Machoke and Hawlucha entered dressed in sombreros and ponchos, the two riding atop a Spanish-themed float. They also had maracas and were dancing to a beat coming from a speaker in said float as Hawlucha laughed, exclaiming, "Not gonna lie, Senior Machoke, this was a muy magnifico idea!"

Aipom face-palmed and groaned, "I knew it," Reika uttering, "To be fair, this is one of his better ones."

Though surprisingly, one group that was not in the least bit upset about this was Hawlucha's family. All three human females gave the display a standing ovation, even Isabel who exclaimed, "I misjudged him! This is amazing!"

Soon enough, the two leapt off of the float as Hawlucha landed gracefully against the ring. Unfortunately, Machoke was not so lucky as he lost his balance and fell flat on his face, Hawlucha laughing as Isabel slapped her forehead, groaning, "Of course."

The others let out a sigh as Hawlucha helped up his comrade, grinning and saying, "Hey, don't look so down. You almost got it," Machoke sighing, "Yeah. It's just been so long. I really wanted that to work."

Nori, meanwhile, smiled and thought, 'I have to admit, I actually missed those odd-ball entrances of his. Only he would ever set something like this up.'

With that, the woman cleared her throat, pointed at the Western entrance and exclaimed, "And in the blue corner, these two are not to be messed with. Both are tough contenders with amazing stealth and strength! Introducing the Venomous Titans!" the crowd cheering heavily as Arbok slithered toward the ring with Serperior riding atop his head.

She then leapt up as Arbok took hold of her tail with his hands, both forming a wheel shape as the green snake latched onto her partner's tail. Both then spun in the air before separating and landing perfectly against the canvas, the crowd cheering even louder.

"Show-offs," Machoke grunted, rolling his eyes and folding his arms as Hawlucha chuckled, not even noticing the hypocrisy of this reaction.

Either way, Serperior was giving Machoke dagger eyes as the boy trembled, Hawlucha asking, "Do you know her?" Machoke shaking his head.

Serperior's eyes twitched as she remarked, "What do you mean you don't know me!? You humiliated me during the three-legged race!" the crowd gasping as Reika uttered, "He did?" Machoke tilting his head to the side and asking the same thing.

"I was this close to eliminating you when you did the unspeakable and used me as a slingshot to make your way into sixteenth!" the green snake snapped as Machoke gasped, "Oh my god, you're the one who tried to cut my link in half!" the crowd now much more interested.

Needless to say, tensions had risen now. Sure, Machoke barely knew this adversary, but whenever an opponent of his had a personal vendetta against him, he knew things were not going to be easy for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Machoke certainly had a reason to worry as Serperior clearly had a grudge against him after the way he had used her to land himself a spot in the Hero Olympics finals. And the opponents with a desire to face him above all other heroes often proved the most dangerous.

However, Hawlucha rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled, saying, "Relax, Machoke. She may seem scary, but I've seen that you can be even scarier when you put your mind to it. Just treat her like any other opponent."

The boy blinked and took a deep breath, replying, "Whatever, she didn't seem all that tough when she attacked me anyway," the green snake beyond furious now as Arbok patted her on the shoulder, saying, "Calm down. I swear, I'll help you get your revenge on him. Just wait for the bell."

The green snake took a deep breath and replied, "Right," as Machoke asked, "So, is he your boyfriend or something?" Serperior retorting, "Ew, no! He's my cousin!"

"Wait, are you insinuating that I'm not dating material?" Arbok retorted as Nori exclaimed, "Calm down! Save it for the match!" Aipom sighing, "Good, someone with common sense."

"Anyway, before we begin, I need to bring up a certain rule for this tournament that Beedrill instructed me to save for the first match," the announcer stated, "See, for the first five minutes, these will be normal tag team matches, but if both team mates of each side are still standing after that time, all four fighters may enter the ring at once in which it will become a tornado tag match. That means all fighters are vulnerable and susceptible to damage."

Machoke blinked and said, "Well, that's certainly good to know," Hawlucha grinning and saying, "Well, in five minutes, we'll be able to show off our new abilities, granted you don't win before that point."

'Oh, so you think he might actually be able to pull that off, do you?' Serperior thought with a frown, 'We'll see about that. He's only seen a small fraction of my power. He has no idea what he's in for.'

With that, both teams headed to their own separate sides of the ring as Hawlucha smiled and nodded at Machoke, saying, "You may go first," Isabel gritting her teeth.

Sure, she knew this was unsportsmanlike, but at the same time, she was unsure of whether or not Machoke was the best choice to go first. He may have defeated Hawlucha, but he also did not seem all that intelligent.

However, she soon calmed down when she noticed Lea and her mother seemed happy with this decision, Serperior naturally volunteering to go first. Arbok smirked and folded his arms, saying, "Give him Hell," the green snake turning to her cousin with a smile and replying, "You know I will."

And with that, the teams were ready as Nori rang the bell, signalling the start of the match. Before Machoke could even do anything, Serperior leapt at him and latched her tail around his neck. The crowd gasped as even Aipom could not believe what she had just seen.

Serperior smirked and said, "You often seem to get the first hit in. I'm not going to let that happen," the snake then leaning forward in an arch formation and taking hold of the boy's ankles.

Some members of the crowd cheered for Serperior when she rolled one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, planting Machoke's skull into the mat. But her move did not end there as she released his ankles, allowing him to collapse as she tightened her grip on his neck, Machoke's head becoming a dark shade of blue.

Hawlucha blinked and asked, "You okay, amigo?" Arbok smirking and saying, "Nice one, Serperior," giving her a thumb up.

"The match has not even lasted a minute and it already looks like Machoke's gonna lose this one," Nori stated as Isabel gritted her teeth, thinking, 'No! This can't be over already! Come on, you idiot, get out of this!'

Aipom, meanwhile, was in full panic as she squeaked, "HE NEEDS MY ADVICE!" only for Reika to pat her on the shoulder, remarking, "He's been in spots like this countless times over the past. He got out of a Boston Crab once. I'm sure he can overcome this."

Machoke seemed to have something in mind as he took hold of Serperior's tail in an attempt to pry it off, though this would have likely resulted in her grip tightening. However, when he touched it, he noticed an odd smile on her face, the snake biting her lower lip and shaking.

The boy's eyes widened as he smirked, ignoring the pain to his neck before rubbing his fingers against the tail's tip. And just as he predicted, the green snake was unable to contain herself as she broke out into hysterics, releasing her hold on the boy and slithering away from him. Once far enough, she stared at the boy and breathed heavily, a look of fear in her eyes.

The crowd stared at this in stunned silence, an orchestra of crickets hopping into the area and making noises. However, it was not long until Machoke's fans broke out into heavy cheering, glad to see the boy escape from yet another tight spot, especially after having gone so many years without seeing it.

Even Weedle, who was currently watching at home, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank god. If that moron went down that easily, I'd be truly disappointed."

"Hey, man, that was not cool!" Arbok spat before noticing that Serperior still looked frightened now, and Hawlucha could see it too as he exclaimed, "Now, Machoke!" the boy nodding and charging toward the green snake.

But as Serperior attempted to dodge, she was too distracted by his actions earlier and thus was unable to avoid a hook to her neck, falling hard on her back. Machoke then proceeded to lift her up by the tip of her tail, once again rubbing his fingers to stop her from fighting back as he swung her around, the snake laughing while he did so. And after a few seconds, he released his hold on her and sent her face-first into the turnbuckle, the crowd going wild.

"Now there's the Machoke we all know and love!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, not even caring about how unprofessional that statement may have been, "Just as it looks like he'll forfeit early, he finds a bizarre yet still creative way to get out of his predicament!"

"That's our Machoke," Reika said with a grin, "Somehow, I knew something like that would happen," Aipom breathing a sigh of relief, adding, "Leave it to him to spot a weakness no one else can see."

Serperior now looked furious as she shook the pain off of her head, clenching her fists and growling, "How dare you!? What gives you the right to use my ticklish side against me!?" Arbok sighing, "In all due respect, this isn't exactly against the rules. He's kind of allowed to do that."

The green snake shot him a glare, but the cobra was unfazed by this as he sighed, "You know, before this match, you told me you had gotten over this. It's not his fault that you still have little to no resistance when people touch the tip of your tail."

Serperior bit her lower lip and started to breath heavily, her hand against her chest as the audience stared at this, Reika uttering, "Ever notice Machoke usually gets the weirdest opponents?" the others nodding in response to this.

Machoke stared at this, unsure of what to do when Isabel sighed, thinking, 'Well, he did get out of that, but Hawlucha wouldn't have taken nearly as long.'

With the green snake having calmed down a bit, she smirked and said, "Just try and get me with that again," Arbok sighing, "You could just tag me in-" only for the green snake to glare at him.

However, after a few seconds, that was replaced by a delicate smile as she replied, "Thank you for trying to help, but I can turn this around."

With that in mind, Serperior proceeded to slink toward Machoke, thinking, 'I'll just keep the tip of my tail away from him until the right moment,' Machoke on the defensive now. After enough matches, he was certain his opponent would not be dumb enough to try the same failed tactic twice.

However, it seemed attacking with her tail was not the only thing the snake could do as just when it seemed she was going to attack from the front, she lowered her body and shifted it to the right. Before Machoke could even respond, she sent her elbow into his side as his eyes widened, the boy kneeling down and holding onto that very spot.

Serperior's fans cheered as Aipom blinked, uttering, "That should not have hurt that much," and Machoke seemed to think the same as he had a look of shock on his face.

And it only seemed to get worse as Serperior used this distraction to bind his ankle with her tail, pulling back and causing him to fall on his face. She then proceeded to leap into the air, forming a green blade on the end of her tail before spinning vertically toward the boy's back, shouting, "TAIL BLADE!" ramming it hard into that very spot as he coughed up blood, a cut forming there.

Isabel gritted her teeth at the sight of this as Hawlucha asked, "You okay, amigo?" Serperior keeping her distance once again as she smirked and said, "The solution to my problem was really simple. All I have to do is make sure you can't touch my tail again and I'll be fine. In other words, I'm going to wait for just the right moment to strike, the exact opposite of what you did during your match with Lucario."

Lucario let out a sigh and said, "I can't deny that she certainly has the right idea," Clauncher uttering, "Aren't you worried the mention of that might lower Machoke's spirits?" the dog replying, "No, he got over that long ago."

Machoke ignored the pain in his back and slowly rose to his feet, a smirk on his face as he said, "I'll admit, I'm impressed, though you really should have thought of that earlier," the crowd cheering as Serperior hissed, Nori saying, "And as usual, it'll take a lot more than a few good hits to take down Machoke."

Hawlucha grinned and held his thumb up, Abomasnow turning to Golduck and saying, "I can see why you admire him so much. He's got spirit, I'll give him that."

However, Serperior refused to give him a chance to take the advantage back and thus, she picked up her speed when slithering toward him. But as she shifted to the side, Machoke saw this coming and threw his leg sideways, kicking the side of her head.

The crowd cheered as the snake hissed again, once again grabbing hold of his ankle with her tail. However, it seemed she may have used this too soon as Hawlucha grinned and exclaimed, "NOW, MACHOKE!" the boy nodding and immediately taking hold of the tip, rubbing his fingers against it as Serperior tried to ignore it only to fall on her chin, breaking out into hysterics while slamming her fists repeatedly against the canvas.

The crowd cheered for Machoke as Isabel thought, 'He is a lot better than I gave him credit for, I will admit. Maybe he did truly deserve his victory over mi hermano,' Lea cheering while her mother grinned, saying, "Look, Hawlucha's comrade is doing magnifico."

Once Serperior released her hold on his ankle, Machoke proceeded to lift her up by the tail and lean backward, slamming the back of her head hard against the mat. The crowd started to cheer even louder as Aipom squealed, "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, MACHOKE!" Keiko sighing, "Was there ever any doubt?"

However, Machoke did not release his hold on the snake as he started to tickle her again just in case she tried to turn this around. Arbok, all the while, stared at this in horror as he stretched out his tail under the rope, exclaiming, "TAG ME, SERPERIOR!"

"No!" the green snake retorted through laughter, "I-I need t-t-to do this! I w-want revenge! HAHAHA!"

"Look, we can get your revenge," Arbok retorted, "Trust me, I'll make sure of that, but we'll need to work together. All we have to do is tough it out for two more minutes."

Serperior bit her lower lip, tears running down her eyes as she tried to contain her laughter. As such, she held out her hand and slapped it against her partner's tail as the bell was rung, Nori exclaiming, "And Serperior has tagged in Arbok! Therefor Machoke must release his hold on her."

The boy nodded and let go of the tail, Serperior slithering back to her side of the ring and switching places with Arbok. Once again, Isabel was impressed. Machoke had actually managed to bring Serperior to the point where she had no choice but to take a breather.

Needless to say, the green snake was not happy about this in the slightest as she folded her arms, saying, "Make sure you don't finish him off too quickly. I want to be the one to deal the final blow," the cobra smirking and replying, "If I manage to get him to that point, I'll tag you in and let you do just that."

Despite their arguing before and during the match, the two snakes did seem to get along rather well, and needless to say, this was alarming to Machoke's friends. After all, this was still Machoke's first time in a team match.

However, it would seem their worry was for nought as Hawlucha held out his hand, saying, "Tag me in, mi amigo. You took in quite a bit of punishment from Serperior earlier."

Having not been used to team matches, Machoke had almost forgotten that he could do that and as such, he nodded and headed toward his partner. However, Arbok refused to let that happen as he coiled his tail like a spring and launched himself toward the boy's back.

"SPRING MISSILE!" the cobra exclaimed as he rammed his skull hard into Machoke's back, the boy coughing up blood and falling forward.

Arbok then proceeded to wrap his tail around the boy, saying, "By the way, I'm not ticklish like my cousin," and this was especially bad due to his tail being quite a bit stronger than that of his ally.

However, just as it seemed hopeless, Machoke managed just enough strength to hold his arm up, Hawlucha wasting no time tagging him in as Nori once again rang the bell, stating, "And now Hawlucha has been tagged in, thus Arbok must release his hold on Machoke."

With that, the cobra smirked and did just that, saying, "I'm okay with this. At least I got an extra hit in," Reika groaning, "He's got a point there."

Serperior let out a sigh and thought, 'Yeah, he does. I hate to admit it, but that was a good idea.'

However, there was no way Hawlucha would let himself get hit that easily as Isabel exclaimed, "YOU GO, HAWLUCHA! KNOCK HIS BLOCK OFF!" her mother and Lea turning to face her as she laughed nervously, saying, "Just cheering him on."

"This is just rich," Arbok said with a smirk, "From what I've heard, you lost to Machoke. Do you honestly think you can intimidate me?" the parrot folding his arms and remarking, "I don't care if I intimidate you or not. Are you gonna fight me or should I just beat you senseless right now?"

A vein formed on the cobra's head as he remarked, "You asked for it!" lunging at the parrot.

But just as it looked like he was about to land another fierce headbutt, Hawlucha held his arm feathers in front of his body, blocking the incoming strike. Both Serperior and Arbok, having only heard of the match between the parrot and Machoke and never having seen it, were naturally shocked that mere feathers could be this strong.

And it did not end there as Hawlucha threw his arm out, forcing Arbok back and lowering his guard. With that, he proceeded to charge at the snake with his arm out, shouting, "MATADOR HOOK!" sending his feather into the cobra's face thus knocking him on his back.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And with little effort, Hawlucha has brought the advantage back to the Flying Muscles!" Isabel breathing a sigh of relief, thinking, 'I knew it. Machoke may have skill, but mi hermano has an unmatched spirit.'

Reika blinked and uttered, "I almost forgot how tough that guy is," Serperior all the while asking, "Arbok, you alright?"

However, it seemed he might not get up any time soon as Hawlucha leapt up onto the turnbuckle, exclaiming, "OH, HOW I HAVE MISSED THIS!" the parrot then leaping off and soaring toward Arbok, exclaiming, "FLYING PRESS!"

Machoke grinned wide and exclaimed, "YOU RULE, HAWLUCHA!" and he had all the reason to be happy. After all, he had been on the receiving end of this move twice, so he knew just how powerful it was.

Unfortunately, Arbok had managed to recover just in time to roll to the side, Hawlucha's eyes widening as he fell hard against the canvas. Isabel gasped at the sight of this as did the rest of his family. After all, this was the first time his Flying Press had ever missed its target.

And it seemed to cause the parrot a bit of pain as Arbok wrapped his tail around his neck, saying, "I can tell that you are certainly stronger than Machoke, but if there's one thing he had on his side, it's that his way of fighting is creative. He's been known for his unpredictability, but that was just amateurish. Anyone could have seen that coming."

Machoke gritted his teeth and retorted, "You take that back! Hawlucha's an amazing fighter!" as Isabel blinked, thinking, 'He took the words right out of my mouth.'

And it seemed so as Hawlucha ignored the pain to his neck, pressing his arms up against the mat and using his feathers to lift himself up. Serperior and Arbok were both just as astounded as the crowd was as the cobra spat, "What are you doing!? Don't you know that only adds to the pain!?"

"Funny, I thought for sure you'd be happy with that," Hawlucha uttered before placing a firm grip against the tail. With that, he leapt forward and used as much force as he could to swing Arbok forward, sending his chin into the turnbuckle thus causing him to let go.

Lea and Isabel both cheered heavily while the rest of the crowd was equally impressed, Nori exclaiming, "And Hawlucha pulls off an incredible counter! I don't think I've ever seen anyone pull off a feat like that!"

"You rule, Hawlucha!" Machoke exclaimed as Serperior whimpered, "Are you okay, Arbok?"

Luckily, the snake's body was tougher than that of Serperior and thus he easily ignored the pain, shaking his head and giving her a thumb up and a smirk. There was no was he would let this get him down, not when he knew there were only a few seconds left before the cousins could fight together.

And after those few seconds, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, "Alright, five minutes are up! You know what means!" the crowd even more excited now as Serperior wasted no time leaping high above the rope, spinning toward Hawlucha before he could respond.

However, Machoke saw this coming and climbed atop the ropes, leaping toward Serperior only for Arbok to reach up and grab his ankles. And with that, the boy was slammed on his back as Isabel exclaimed, "HERMANO, BEHIND YOU!" only for the green snake to once again form her green blade, shouting, "TAIL BLADE!" sending it hard into the back of the parrot's head.

Hawlucha's eyes widened as he coughed up blood, falling flat on his face as some members of the crowd cheered for the snakes. However, Machoke's friends and fans were naturally worried as was Hawlucha's family.

"And it seems that at the exact second the tag team portion ends, the Flying Muscles immediately lose their advantage," Nori stated, "Can they possibly get out of this?"

And it only got worse as Arbok bound his tail to Hawlucha's legs, Serperior doing the same to Machoke. The two then proceeded to latch their hands against one-another's arms before spinning like a pinwheel, lifting up their victims while floating thanks to a gust of wind created by their movement.

"FLYING SERPENT TWISTER!" the two exclaimed before Serperior released her hold on Machoke, sending him hard into the turnbuckle as Arbok proceeded to do the same to Hawlucha, the parrot flying into his partner to add to the damage. Clearly, the two were focused on dealing more pain to Machoke what with Serperior's grudge against him.

"I'll admit it," Serperior said with a grin, "You were right all along. Waiting until the tornado tag portion was a much better idea than continuing," Arbok nodding and replying, "Don't forget, there is a brain in this head."

Isabel was terrified now as Cici whimpered, "Those two are a really good team," Gardevoir nodding and replying, "It's okay. I'm sure they'll be able to get the upper hand back. They're working together now, too."

And sure enough, Hawlucha shook the pain off of him as he asked, "You okay, Machoke?" the boy nodding and replying, "Yeah, we were just caught off-guard. Let's show them our teamwork now," a grin forming as Serperior scowled at him. The last thing she wanted to see was a smile from him, especially after all the pain she and her cousin had just dealt.

But could Hawlucha and Machoke really turn this around? After all, the Venomous Titans had certainly proven themselves to be a major threat. But then again, the Flying Muscles were among the most physically strong heroes out there, so this was still anyone's game.


	7. Chapter 7

Things had gone back-and-forth during the match, but right now, it seemed that Machoke and Hawlucha would really have to kick things up a notch if they were to win. Luckily, they planned to do just that as the two had spent a whole week preparing for this tournament.

With that, Hawlucha nodded at Machoke who grinned as the two charged toward the snakes. However, there was no way they would allow the duo to get in any hits and as such, Serperior slithered to the right while Arbok sped to the left. And it only seemed to get worse when each snake got behind one fighter, Serperior wrapping her arms around Machoke's neck while Arbok did the to same to Hawlucha.

However, it seemed the Flying Muscles had seen this coming as they both nodded and took hold of each snake's wrists, using great force to flip them over their heads and onto their backs. And it did not end there as Hawlucha asked, "Ready?" Machoke giving him a thumb up.

The crowd was truly amazed by what happened next as Hawlucha leapt onto Machoke's shoulders, exclaiming, "Here's a move we spent a great deal of time perfecting!" Machoke nodding and adding, "If you all thought this was powerful before, watch what happens when we combine our strength!"

Isabel's eyes sparkled as both fighters leapt atop the turnbuckle. Machoke then proceeded to leap off of it as Hawlucha spread his arms out, both shouting, "TOTEM FLYING PRESS!"

With Arbok and Serperior both right next to each-other and too weak to respond, they were easy targets as both Hawlucha and Machoke slammed their bellies hard into theirs. Thus each one coughed up blood, Serperior's eyes about to pop out of their sockets while Arbok closed his tight.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing comeback! After taking in an extremely powerful team move, the Flying Muscles counter with one of their own!"

Isabel stared in stunned silence while thinking, 'Machoke really is a good ally. He and Hawlucha make for a really good team,' Aipom clinging to Reika's face with a big smile, squealing, "I KNEW THEY COULD TURN IT AROUND!" Reika groaning, "Now I see why Machoke hates it so much when you do this."

Blaziken smirked and said, "Funny seeing him pull that off when this is the first time he's fought alongside someone else," Gallade nodding as he, Hitmonchan and Lopunny exclaimed, "You rule, Machoke!"

However, while the move had been very effective, even Machoke and Hawlucha knew this was not the end. And this was made clear when both snakes planted their hands firmly against the mat and pushed themselves up, breathing heavily, Serperior looking especially peeved right now.

However, just as she looked like she would blow a gasket, Arbok rested a hand on her shoulder and said, "We can still win this. Don't forget, we have much more to use against them," the green snake nodding and replying, "You're right."

With that in mind, the snakes readied themselves for an attack as Machoke and Hawlucha kept their distance. After that first team move they took in, they knew the Venomous Titans were tougher than they looked.

With that, Arbok leapt into the air, everyone expecting him to whip his tail at one of the two only for Serperior to grab hold of his tip. As Arbok was not ticklish, this was perfectly fine for him as she said, "By the way, Machoke, just because I'm not as strong as Arbok doesn't mean I can't lift someone like him," the green snake swinging Arbok in a circular motion while the cobra folded his arms, tucking his head in so his hood now resembled a boxing glove.

"Quick, I know what they're planning!" Hawlucha exclaimed as Machoke nodded, saying, "Yeah, this is pretty obvious," the two running in separate directions as Serperior smirked, shouting, "COBRA FLAIL!"

With that, she hurled Arbok toward Machoke who continued to run, hoping to avoid the move. But just as it looked like he would be able to do so, Serperior propelled herself off of the ropes, launching herself at the boy. Thanks to the ropes, she had managed to move faster than Arbok and thus was able to trap Machoke's legs in place with her tail, the boy taking in the cobra's skull to his face.

The crowd winced as Machoke coughed up blood, Serperior then tripping him thus causing him to fall on his back. But of course, Hawlucha would not let this go as he rushed toward Serperior only for Arbok to latch onto his ankle and knock him onto his back as well.

With that, he grinned at Serperior and said, "Come on, let's finish Machoke off for good," the green snake nodding and replying, "Of course," Arbok sending his tail into Hawlucha's face in order to make sure he stayed down long enough for their next course of action to work.

Many stared in silence at the sight of this as Nori said, "If Machoke doesn't get up soon, Hawlucha may be left without a partner. Let's hope one of them can recover in time."

"Don't get your hopes up," Arbok remarked as he lightly wrapped his tail around the area just below Serperior's neck. With that, both snakes took to the sky and performed a vertical flip, Serperior forming her blade as the two shouted, "DOUBLE TAIL BLADE!" heading toward the downed Machoke.

Isabel bit her lower lip when the boy took in the fierce blow to his gut, coughing up blood as he passed out, his eyes and mouth wide open. The crowd gasped in response to this as Nori gulped and uttered, "This isn't good for the Flying Muscles. If Machoke doesn't get up soon, it'll be over."

Hawlucha opened his eyes and grunted, "I won't let us lose," only for Arbok to latch onto his neck, saying, "I'm sorry, but I simply can't let you ruin our chances," Serperior binding his legs in place and adding, "You may have been able to take on one of us, but when we're together, we're practically unstoppable."

With that, both lifted the parrot up and bent him upward in an arch formation, shouting, "SNAKE BACKBREAKER!" Hawlucha crying out in pain as the crowd was concerned.

However, while Machoke's friends were beyond worried, Hawlucha's family was really upset about this. But the one hurting the most was Isabel. She did not wish to see her brother lose the first match, not this horribly.

With that in mind, she bit her lower lip and exclaimed, "COME ON, MACHOKE, GET UP!" everyone staring in shock as she added, "POR FAVOR, MI HERMANO NEEDS YOU! HE CAN'T WIN THIS MATCH WITHOUT YOU!"

Arbok turned to her with a smirk and said, "Your words mean nothing. He's not getting up after that," Serperior nodding and saying, "Still, it is kind of surprising. This is the same guy who took in an onslaught from Giratina and lived."

"Yeah, but keep in mind Giratina was much weaker during that match due to his age," the cobra replied as Hawlucha groaned in pain, trying his hardest not to submit right now.

However, Isabel refused to believe that this really was the end. Sure, she may not have been certain about Machoke at first, but after seeing his perseverance and the way he had turned a major disadvantage around three times already, let alone doubling the power of her brother's Flying Press, she could tell that he really was a good ally to have. Not only that, but not even Hawlucha could take on these two by himself.

As such, the Spanish girl rose to her feet and rose her fist into the air, shouting, "Machoke! Machoke!" pumping her fist up and down as Lea and her mother smiled and joined her, chanting the boy's name.

Soon enough, Reika, Cici and Tsuya did the same followed by Keiko and Aipom. And naturally, the others joined in as well. Even Abomasnow, despite not really knowing the boy, wanted to see him win, especially after seeing just how spirited he was.

Even Florges and Masquerain, who had been seated in the back row, stood up and exclaimed, "You can do it!"

Florges blinked as the butterfly shrugged and said, "Hey, he's your friend's boyfriend. May as well give him my full support," Talonflame frowning and adding, "Don't you dare lose, Machoke! You took my punishment and still managed to defeat me! I can't accept this!"

Besides, I would love to have a rematch with you sometime in this tournament!" Lucario added, "Are you going to let me down!?" Clauncher adding, "And I haven't even faced you yet!"

Just as it seemed Serperior really had dealt more damage than one would have guessed, the area went silent as Machoke's finger started to twitch. His eyes slowly came open before the boy quickly propelled himself back to his feet, turning toward the snakes who seemed too full of themselves right now to notice his recovery.

"You hear that silence?" Serperior asked with a smirk, Arbok nodding and replying, "Yeah, they've realized it's pointless," only for his eyes to widen as Machoke leapt up and rammed his elbow hard into his neck.

With that, the cobra released his hold on Hawlucha as Serperior's grip on his legs weakened. As such, the parrot managed to twist his body and escape, rising to his feet and doing his best to ignore the pain in his back while Machoke lifted both snakes up by their tails and swung them around, sending each one flying into a separate turnbuckle.

With that, the crowd broke out into heavy cheering as Machoke asked, "You okay, buddy?" Hawlucha nodding with a smirk and replying, "Claro," taking hold of Machoke's hand as the boy formed a grin of his own.

"Oh my god, Machoke never ceases to amaze me!" Nori exclaimed as his friends all had big smiles on their faces, the woman adding, "Just as it seemed the Flying Muscles had lost, Machoke made an awesome comeback!"

"Wow, he's amazing," Abomasnow uttered with his eyes wide open as Golduck nodded and said, "Toldja," a grin on her face while Reika sighed, "Even after a year, he's still able to pull off miracles."

Aipom let down light tears, biting her lower lip as Barbaracle said, "There's that spirit that bested me," Pignite releasing flames from his nostrils and grunting, "I'm so jealous! I wish I could have been the one to face him in the ring instead!"

While most of the crowd continued to cheer, Isabel was the happiest of them all as she leapt up and down, exclaiming, "MAGNIFICO, TRULY INCREIBLE! I never should have doubted you! Hawlucha couldn't have asked for a better comrade!"

Machoke gave a warm smile as Hawlucha nodded and said, "She's right. You're the best ally I could possibly have right now."

However, just as Nori was ready to start the ten count, Serperior and Arbok recovered, gritting their teeth as Arbok hissed, "Now I can see why you hate him so much. He is without a doubt the most annoying opponent I've ever dealt with."

Serperior nodded and replied, "Exactly. But they've taken in much more damage than us. There's no doubt that at this point, they're only delaying the inevitable."

With that in mind, both leapt high into the air, aiming their tails at the duo as they easily saw this coming. Hawlucha quickly threw his arms out, clutching Arbok's tail as Machoke did the same with Serperior's, both leaning backwards and slamming their opponents' chins into the mat while the crowd cheered once more. Even those who had originally been rooting for the Venomous Titans had now switched over to supporting the Flying Muscles.

However, it did not end there as Machoke grinned at Hawlucha, asking, "Ready to end this, compadre?" the parrot snickering and replying, "You mean companero. Compadre means godfather," the boy blinking and uttering, "Your language is weird."

With that, both shared a quick laugh before leaping high into the air, still holding onto each snake's tail. However, what they had planned was a move that took them longer to master than any other technique.

It was on day three of their training, Machoke and Hawlucha had noticed that footage from the tag team tournament from twenty years ago was playing on the sports network, and one such match was when Machamp and Combusken went up against a powerful duo, two cat-like beings named Mew and Mewtwo in the finals.

Both were villains who had snuck their way into the tournament, and needless to say, they were two of the most powerful fighters the world had ever seen. Machamp and Combusken had come close to failure, but ultimately, they won in the end with a technique that combined both of Machamp's signature finishing moves, the Muscle Tombstone and the Ultimate Driver. Despite the two literally coming up with it at that exact moment, they managed to pull it off and end the match for good.

After seeing this, Machoke and Hawlucha devoted a great deal of time to practising this very technique, and now it was finally time to use it. As such, once the two were high enough, Machoke wrapped his arms around Serperior's torso and latched his ankles onto her neck.

Everyone was beyond excited as Nori exclaimed, "AFTER SO LONG, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MACHOKE'S FAMOUS FAMILY FAVORITE, THE MUSCLE TOMBSTONE!" everyone beyond excited as Hawlucha exclaimed, "Actually, you're in for a much bigger treat!" as he proceeded to plant Arbok's head against Serperior's tail.

He then wrapped his legs around the cobra's torso while holding tightly onto his tail, Aipom's eyes widening as she uttered, "Oh my god, they're actually using that move," everyone watching in stunned silence as Machoke and Hawlucha exclaimed, "MUSCLE COFFIN!"

Serperior's head hit the mat hard as Arbok took in extreme pain from having his skull forced hard into her tail, both of their eyes and mouths wide open as they coughed up blood simultaneously. And after a few seconds, the Flying Muscles released their hold on them and allowed them to pass out, Nori immediately starting the ten count.

"I can't believe it," Aipom uttered as Blaziken blinked, saying, "Mother told me about this move, but she didn't make it sound nearly as impressive as it actually is."

Gardevoir nodded and added, "It's one thing to have them use both moves at once, but by having Arbok's head rammed into Serperior's tail, it's like he received a super powered kick to the skull rather than just hitting the canvas."

"Wow, I'm impressed you picked up on that," Gallade replied as Machoke and Hawlucha breathed heavily, staring at their opponents before Nori ended the ten count.

With that, the woman rang the bell and exclaimed, "AND THE FIRST VICTORY IN THE ULTIMATE WORLD TEAM TOURNAMENT GOES TO THE FLYING MUSCLES!" the crowd breaking out into heavy cheers and applause, many giving a standing ovation as Isabel let down light tears, thinking, 'Muchos gracias, Senior Machoke.'

With that, Machoke looked down at Serperior and sighed, "Not gonna lie, that was actually kinda scary," Hawlucha grinning and replying, "Si, but we made it through," the two sharing a quick laugh as both snakes slowly recovered, rubbing their heads.

"I can't believe it," Serperior groaned, "Even after all that, we still lost," Arbok sighing, "Forget that. I'm more confused by the fact that we're still able to stand."

Hawlucha laughed in response to this and replied, "Something you need to know about Machoke is that he never tries to hospitalize his opponents unless they're really dangerous," the boy nodding and adding, "Yeah, no sense dealing extreme damage to a fellow hero, right?"

Gardevoir nodded and said, "That's just one of the reasons I love him so much," Hitmonchan patting her on the shoulder and saying, "Aw, that's so cute," Gardevoir's cheeks flushed pink as Gallade chuckled.

Serperior let out a sigh and slowly got up, dusting herself off and bowing her head, saying, "Well, there's no denying that you have defeated us," her eyes narrowed slightly as Arbok gave her a quick glance, the green snake sighing, "And with that in mind, I guess there's no point seeking revenge on you anymore."

"Thank god," the cobra sighed, "I was worried this loss was gonna eat away at your forever," Serperior remarking, "It's like Machoke said. We got beaten by two heroes, not two villains. That's nothing to throw a fit over," Machoke, Hawlucha and Arbok all lowering their eyelids as if to call her a hypocrite.

Either way, with the match over, both teams were to exit the ring as Machoke grinned, saying, "I'd almost forgotten how good that felt," Hawlucha laughing and replying, "Si, with Tokyo being the most peaceful place on Earth now, I can only imagine how long it's been since your last match."

Nori proceeded to clear her throat before stating, "With that out of the way, it's time to prepare for the next match. Both teams will have a total of ten minutes to prepare themselves," Reika blinking and saying, "Oh yeah. The chairman's going up next. I wonder what kind of fighting techniques he has."

Blaziken shrugged and replied, "It's pretty obvious from looking at him how he fights," Gallade adding, "Yeah, from what we saw back on Hero Planet, he's not that complex of a fighter."

"He's still threatening, though," Gardevoir replied as Reika nodded and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot. He was Machoke's first opponent, wasn't he?"

Aipom let out a sigh and said, "I didn't see that fight either. Why did they fight again?" Gallade replying, "He used to be a villain, that's why," the others nodding in understanding. With how many times this had happened, it was hardly a shock anymore.

As it just so happened, Beedrill and Butterfree had started training right away, Butterfree saying, "You know, I'm not gonna lie, I can see why you lost to Machoke so easily. He really has a strange knack for coming out of tough situations, doesn't he?" the wasp nodding and replying, "Yeah, he's something alright."

"You know if we win this match, we'll have to face in the next round, right?" the butterfly asked, Beedrill nodding and saying, "Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to it. I want him to see that I'm not the same rash fighter I was when I first faced him."

All the while, Magnemite and Squirtle were getting ready as well, the cyborg turning to his turtle partner and asking, "So, you've memorized all the tactics?"

Squirtle smirked and remarked, "Come on, I've never forgotten a single one. I may not be a super genius like you, but I can remember things that matter to me."

"So when you forgot movie night, that's because it didn't matter to you?" Magnemite remarked, narrowing his eyelid as Squirtle laughed nervously, the cyborg shrugging his shoulders and sighing, "At least you can remember this much."

"Still," Squirtle uttered, biting her lower lip, "I am a little nervous about this. I mean, this isn't any ordinary opponent. We're going up against the chairman. That's kind of alarming."

Magnemite nodded and replied, "True. He's the first chairman in history to actually fight, and I remember his match against Machoke. He's certainly not to be taken lightly. Plus, I've heard that Butterfree was quite formidable when those two fought in the Reverse World."

"Yeah, but we can still win this, right?" the turtle asked with a big grin, her cyborg friend nodding and replying, "Yes. With our new tactics, we'll be more threatening than ever before."

All the while, Machoke took a seat with his friends while Hawlucha joined his family, the parrot giving the boy a thumb up. Machoke gave him a grin as Gardevoir kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Great job as usual, Machoke."

Scyther nodded and added, "Ja, I really hope we get to face each-other at some point. I've actually gotten a lot stronger since I started fighting without my mother's advice."

Gallade nodded and replied, "You know, there's a high chance we could face each-other. I still owe you for this scar you gave me," the boy smirking and pointing at a long stitched up line across the front of his torso, adding, "Granted, it does make me look cooler, but still."

Hitmonchan blinked and said, "Oh, so that's how you got that," before scowling at Scyther and growling, "What did you do to my boyfriend?"

Scyther sighed and replied, "Look, I wasn't exactly thinking straight at the time," Gallade laughing nervously and saying, "Calm down, Hitmonchan. I'm over it."

Soon enough, the wait was over as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, it's time for the second match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament to begin!" the crowd going wild as she pointed to the Eastern side, adding, "In the red corner, one is a cyborg with the intelligence of a super computer, able to figured out top-notch strategies to defeat his enemies! The other is a powerful turtle, and while rather short, she still packs a punch! Introducing the Electric Shells!"

The crowd went wild as Magnemite entered, riding atop Squirtle like a surfboard as she was tucked into her shell and spinning around. With that, the cyborg leapt off of her and landed firmly against the ring, waving to the cheering crowd while Squirtle flipped vertically into the ring, emerging from her shell and performing a handstand with only one hand, the crowd cheering even louder.

"Wow, what an entrance!" Nori exclaimed as Machoke nodded and said, "Not gonna lie, that was actually pretty cool."

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "One is the chairman of Hero Planet, a wasp with great strength and skills. He faced Machoke on Hero Planet, and though he lost, he was still a major threat. He's also singlehandedly responsible for his partner turning to the side of good. Speaking of which, his partner is a fierce butterfly who's a lot stronger than she looks. Introducing the Flying Terrors!"

The crowd erupted into heavy cheering when both flew toward the ring, performing an aerial routine that involved them circling around each-other, forming a series of rings in the air. They then performed vertical flips before landing against the ring, Beedrill thinking, 'It's good to get cheers instead of booing for a change,' Butterfree all the while thinking, 'I have to admit, having people like me is actually nice.'

Both teams were certainly geared up and ready for this match to begin. Needless to say, everyone was looking forward to seeing just how this would play out.


	8. Chapter 8

Note: The song Gardevoir sings is heavily inspired by Terryman's theme from the original Kinnikuman, Texas Bronco.

This was it. After a long and intense match from the Flying Muscles, everyone was going to see an event they had been just as excited for, if not more, and that was seeing the chairman of Hero Planet fight in front of a crowd. Sure, he had fought twice prior to this and everyone had been informed of these fights, but no one had ever seen the second one and only those on Hero Planet had witnessed the first.

And of course, some of these people were fans of Squirtle and Magnemite and thus came to support them. But right now, Beedrill was the true man of the hour, so to speak.

Before the match could begin, though the wasp turned to Butterfree and said, "I'd like to go first, if that's alright with you," the butterfly tapping her chin. Considering she had always been obsessed with upstaging the wasp prior to her defeat, he was unsure of whether or not she could really accept this.

However, after a few seconds, Butterfree nodded and replied, "Alright, you'll make a good warmup before I dazzle the audience with my majestic skills," Beedrill implying an eye-roll as the butterfly giggled, adding, "Come on, I'm just kidding. You know I'm not like that anymore."

With that, the wasp entered the ring as Magnemite agreed to let Squirtle go first. The cyborg seemed to be whispering an opening strategy into the side of her head as she nodded and struck a fighting pose.

Seeing as both fighters were clearly ready, Nori exclaimed, "Without further ado, let's get this started!" the woman ringing the bell as Squirtle wasted no time tucking herself into her shell and spinning toward Beedrill.

The wasp blinked before taking to the sky, easily dodging the turtle's incoming strike as Magnemite exclaimed, "NOW, INITIATE TACTIC NINETY-EIGHT!" the turtle leaping toward the ropes while still in her shell and bouncing off, exclaiming, "SHELL PINBALL!"

Beedrill's eyes widened as the turtle flew into his back, causing him to descend toward the canvas, landing chin-first into it. Butterfree lowered her eyelids and sighed, "I could have easily dodged that," the wasp grunting as Squirtle proceeded to spin toward him again.

Now that the wasp was distracted, Squirtle easily managed to strike his legs as he fell on his face a second time, the crowd gasping as Nori exclaimed, "And with just her shell, Squirtle has already managed to get a big advantage over the chairman! Quite a few audience members look disappointed by this!" Machoke uttering, "Is this really the guy who gave me so much trouble on Hero Planet?"

However, it did not seem to end there as after knocking the wasp down, Squirtle leapt up, exclaiming, "SHELL METEORITE!" ramming herself hard into his back, causing him to wince as she then retracted from her shell and leapt toward Magnemite, tagging him in.

"Wow, and after dealing three powerful hits, Squirtle has tagged in her partner, but why?" Nori asked as all became clear, Magnemite latching himself to Beedrill's back and bending his back a bit before kicking that very spot, sending the wasp skidding across the mat.

Suddenly, a lot of the disappointment from the crowd was replaced by cheering as Reika uttered, "I have to admit, he's not as good as I figured he'd be," Blaziken sighing, "Well, he does have some good skills, but his form was pretty sloppy."

While the chicken had not said this in a particularly loud voice, Beedrill could hear this as he slowly opened one eye and flipped back up onto his feet, saying, "I'm impressed, but don't think you've won."

Butterfree breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "I knew you couldn't possibly fall to that so easily," as the wasp nodded and flew toward Magnemite, the cyborg thinking, 'Alright, just a little closer.'

However, just as it seemed like he was about to make a counter of his own, Beedrill shifted to the right and sent his left arm stinger into the cyborg's side. Magnemite winced in pain as a light gash formed, a mixture of oil and blood trickling down while the audience was starting to cheer for the wasp again.

And it did not end there as Beedrill locked Magnemite's arms in place, saying, "Just try to get out of this," taking to the sky once more before leaning backward and planting Magnemite's head into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as the wasp released his hold, flying over to Butterfree and asking, "Want a taste of the action now?" the butterfly nodding and replying, "You'd better believe it."

And with that, Beedrill held out his arm stinger as Butterfree slapped it with her stubby hand, taking his place as Nori said, "Wow, that was quite a comeback. Despite only landing two moves, he actually seems to have inflicted slightly more pain to Magnemite than both fighters dealt to him combined."

"That was a pretty smart tactic, actually," Machoke said as Aipom nodded and replied, "A simple approach, but effective."

And this made perfect sense. Not only was Beedrill quite strong, but Magnemite did have a rather weak body. Thus he often relied on his intellect to make up for that, and while it did help him a lot, it had not always worked, as had been seen when he faced two of the Hitmon siblings and the team of Absol and Blitzle more than a year ago.

With that in mind, Magnemite tapped his chin after rising to his feet and said, "This might be tough, Squirtle. We both saw Beedrill in action before, so we knew what to expect with him. However, we've never seen this one in battle," Squirtle nodding and asking, "Want me to take over?"

"Not yet," Magnemite replied, "I have a plan for this," as Butterfree wasted no time flying toward him with her skull pointed outward.

Seeing this, the cyborg waited for just the right moment, backing up toward the ropes a little bit. And once the butterfly was close enough, he dodged to the right and thus she found herself running head-first into the ropes.

Before she could bounce off, though, Magnemite took hold of her ankles and leaned backward, planting her back into the canvas as the audience was impressed someone so skinny could pull that off. And it did not end there as the cyborg proceeded to take hold of her wings, saying, "You should never underestimate the nerd."

With that, he pointed his magnets downward and exclaimed, "SONIC BOOM!" a shock wave sending him high above the ring as he then flipped the butterfly one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, shouting, "MAGNET BOMB!" pointing his magnets upward and sending another shock wave out, sending her head hard into the mat.

The crowd once again cheered for him as Nori exclaimed, "This is truly amazing! Despite looking so weak, Magnemite has proven himself a force to be reckoned with!" the cyborg then sprinting over to Squirtle and tagging her in, saying, "You know what to do."

The turtle nodded and leapt toward Butterfree just as she had gotten up, Beedrill shouting, "BEHIND YOU!" only for the bug to take in a fierce headbutt, Squirtle shouting, "SKULL BASH!"

All the while, the turtle's mother, Blastoise, rose her fist and exclaimed, "THAT'S MY GIRL!" many shocked to see a legendary fighter among the crowd like a common, everyday spectator.

Beedrill could not help but feel embarrassed. Here he was, the chairman of Hero Planet and the former villain who almost defeated him and both were performing horribly. Thus he started to lose that incredible patience he had built up since he discovered his heritage and thus, a vein formed on the side of his head.

"Come on, Butterfree!" he exclaimed, "Where's that graceful speed that pushed me to my limit!?" the butterfly nodding and remarking, "Don't worry, it's still here."

With that in mind, she noticed Squirtle come at her from behind, most likely to set her up for a submission hold. However, Butterfree saw this coming as she proceeded to send her legs upward, planting them hard into the turtle's chin, thus knocking her on her back.

Squirtle was now struggling to get up as the butterfly flew into the air, soaring toward her downed opponent and spinning while a gust of spiralling wind surrounded her, Magnemite shouting, "GET UP, SQUIRTLE! I'VE SEEN YOU DO IT BEFORE!"

However, it seemed too late as Butterfree rammed her skull hard into her carapace, exclaiming, "WHIRLWIND!" Squirtle coughing up blood as the crowd was shocked.

Despite hitting a rather hard material and Butterfree not possessing the same physical strength Beedrill did, that still showed incredible results as Nori stated just that. And Butterfree was not about to let it end there as she flipped the turtle over, grabbing hold of her shoulders before she could recover. The butterfly then flew into the air, leaning backward and flapping toward the turnbuckle, sending Squirtle's skull hard into it.

The crowd cheered heavily as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it seemed like the Electric Shells had this in the bag, the Flying Terrors have made an incredible comeback courtesy of Butterfree!"

As if that was not enough, it seemed the five minutes were up now as Nori rang the bell, Squirtle getting up just in time for Magnemite to join her. And of course, Beedrill wasted no time getting back in the ring as he nodded at his partner, saying, "Good job."

"Did you expect anything less?" she remarked with a smirk.

Squirtle turned to Magnemite and asked, "So, is it time for Tactic Thirty?" the cyborg shaking his head and replying, "I don't think that'll work on them. Let's try Tactic One-Hundred-And-Eight."

With that in mind, Magnemite pushed his magnets backward and positioned himself against the ropes, Squirtle leaping onto his back and holding tight as he exclaimed, "SONIC ROCKET!" launching himself toward Beedrill while Squirtle leapt off of his back and headed toward Butterfree with her tail at the ready.

However, both insects saw this coming as Beedrill sent his stingers forward, piercing Magnemite's shoulders as his eyes widened. Sure, his head still made contact with Beedrill's gut, but the wasp ignored the pain and used all his might to weaken the blow.

Butterfree also did something similar with Squirtle, using her hands to block her tail. Due to the speed the turtle was moving at, she still took in a strike to the face, but she had managed to weaken it enough as she lowered Squirtle enough so she could grasp onto her neck.

With that, both insects nodded at one-another as Beedrill leaned backward, seeming to set up Magnemite for his Twin Needle Suplex while Butterfree spun herself around with Squirtle's skull pointed at the cyborg's. And soon enough, the Electric Shells had made contact with one-another as Beedrill and Butterfree exclaimed, "BUG BOMBER!" Squirtle once again coughing up blood as Magnemite's eye went wider from the pain.

And soon enough, both closed their eyes as the Flying Terrors allowed them to fall on their backs. All went silent as Nori started a ten count, soon reaching said number as she exclaimed, "AND THE WINNERS OF THIS MATCH ARE THE FLYING TERRORS!"

The crowd went wild as Machoke exclaimed, "YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Aipom sighing, "You know you're gonna have to fight them in the next round, right?" Hawlucha smirking and replying, "Si, but we can do it."

However, two particular audience members who looked beyond excited right now were Kirlia and Ralts, both grinning as the mother exclaimed, "Honey, our little girl's going up next!" Ralts nodding and replying, "Yeah, isn't this great?"

And it seemed Gardevoir was thinking just that as she rose to her feet, asking, "Ready to prepare for the match, Blaziken?" the chicken nodding and replying, "You bet."

But as the chicken sprinted toward the preparation area, Gardevoir briefly turned to face Smeargle. She gave him a light smile and bowed her head, the beagle bowing himself. He would have tipped his beret to her had it not been a part of his body.

Vespiquen broke up the little moment as she placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Remember, treat her like any other opponent and don't hold back," Smeargle nodding and replying, "Oui," before joining her.

Unfortunately, Hoopa and Diancie were not so confident in this as Hoopa groaned, "Did you see that? He's clearly friends with that green girl," Diancie biting her lower lip and whimpering, "Should we have taken her out too?"

But just as the genie was about to respond, Vespiquen turned to face them and gave them a reassuring nod. She was certain that this could work to their advantage, but how it could was anyone's guess.

Either way, Florges gave Gardevoir a wave as Masquerain was looking forward to this. She may not have seen a lot of Gardevoir's matches, but she did see her debut match, the one most infamous for how the girl had turned a huge disadvantage in her favour just like that. Needless to say, the butterfly was probably more excited to see how much better she had gotten through time than anyone else.

But just as the girl was about to join Blaziken for good, Machoke got up and asked, "Hey, want me to help you with your entrance?" Gardevoir nodding and replying, "Yeah, but only with the setup. Blaziken and I have already come up with the idea for the entrance. We just need the means of pulling it off."

Aipom wiped sweat off of her forehead and sighed, "Thank god. At least Machoke's not the one coming up with it," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Give him credit. At least his entrances actually work when Gardevoir does them."

And while this went on, Smeargle was breathing heavily, feeling beyond nervous. This was the largest crowd of people he had ever fought in front of, and most of all, he was fighting his best friend. This was something he had only dreamed of and yet now that it was finally happened, he had started to get cold feet.

Vespiquen immediately noticed this and sighed, "Smeargle, calm down," the beagle turning to her as she added, "Trust me, I know you can do this. Just believe," the beagle nodding.

For whatever reason, every time he looked into Vespiquen's eyes during a speech, he just had a feeling that he could take her words to heart. And besides, if he chickened out of this match, Gardevoir would feel responsible and that was the last thing he wanted.

Even so, he could not think about all the matches he had lost since he came to Earth. But it was difficult as these were some of the most humiliating losses in the history of losses.

He remembered full-well his first fight when he went up against a shark named Sharpedo. The fight did not even last five seconds before he found himself trapped in the shark's jaws, submitting after the first drop of blood was spilled.

A week later, he tried again against a cicada named Ninjask. He lasted a little bit longer if only because this villain did not have the same strength as Sharpedo, but in the end, he was still defeated due to her ninja-like speed and reflexes, soon falling victim to a slam known as Buzz Bomb.

The last time he faced anyone before the Grenoble tournament was when a cat named Glameow stole from the bank, Smeargle thinking for sure this might finally be his chance. But ultimately, despite lasting longer than he could have imagined, he still lost when she bound him with her spring-like tail and leapt high into the air, ramming his head repeatedly into the mat with a move known as Spring Driver.

And of course, every single time, Florges would have to come in and finish the job for him. Sharpedo fell to her mighty Pedal Dance. Ninjask was taken down by a powerful spinning slam move known as Twirling Sakura Storm. And Glameow was beaten by Hana Twist, in which Florges took one of her dance moves and turned it into an attack.

Smeargle could only wish he could be that good, and while he never tried to show it, it always ate away at him. He hated having to sit back and watch as Florges would finish what he started. It seemed wrong to have two heroes protecting an area when only one did all the work.

With all of this in mind, he gritted his teeth and rose to his feet, clenching his fists and saying, "Oui, I am ready for this," Vespiquen implying a sweet smile with her eyes as the beagle thought, 'Today will be the day I finally win, or at the very least, put up a good fight. I will not disappoint you, Gardevoir. You believed in me and I will make sure you don't regret it.'

With that, the crowd was anxious as the ten minutes were finally up, Nori exclaiming, "Alright, everyone, it's finally time for the third match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering with anticipation as the woman stated, "We've had a couple of great matches so far, but let's see what the rest of the first round has to give us!"

With that, she pointed at the Eastern entrance and exclaimed, "In the red corner, one is a mysterious, elegant bee who has only just entered the hero scene! Because of this, little is known about her, but perhaps she'll be the third fighter to prove stronger than a certain someone partaking in this match! The other is a dog whose track record is lacking to say the least but still has a lot of spirit! I of course refer to the Elegant Warriors!"

The crowd was unsure of how to react when Elizabethan music played in the background, Smeargle and Vespiquen approaching the ring with proper looks on their face. The two also held hands as they reached the ring, Smeargle bowing to the bee and pointing his hand toward it, saying, "After you, madame."

Vespiquen bowed her head and fluttered into the ring, helping Smeargle up under the ropes and stating, "How very kind of you, sir," Smeargle kissing her hand as the audience still looked confused.

As Machoke returned to his seat, he blinked and asked, "What was that?" Aipom sighing, "I hate to admit it, but I'd rather watch one of your entrances. At least those are fitting for a match," Reika nodding and adding, "This looks more like the introduction to a play, a really boring play."

Nori stared for a few seconds before fidgeting with her microphone and laughing nervously, saying, "And in the red corner-" her spirits picking up as she exclaimed, "One of these fighters has shocked the world with her incredible skills! At first, she seemed like a weakling, but she has impressed us by beating one villain after the next and even defeating Roserade in the Hero Olympics! Her partner is the acclaimed Texas Phoenix and the daughter of Combusken, the hero who teamed up with Machamp in the previous tag team tournament! With a passion for fighting and amazing skills, she is sure to turn up the heat, quite literally!"

"I think that statement would apply more to me, thank you very much," Talonflame grunted as Scyther hushed him, Nori exclaiming, "Presenting the Fiery Beauties!"

Everyone was shocked as Machoke grinned, saying, "This is exciting," as once again, music played in the background. However, this was much more epic and worthy of an entrance to a fight while Blaziken sat atop a float in a cool pose.

However, the main attraction was Gardevoir, sporting her usual red jersey and spiked collar while standing atop a pedestal in the middle with a microphone, waving to the crowd as Florges' eyes sparkled, the flower girl asking, "Is she finally going to sing in public!?"

With that, Gardevoir cleared her throat and exclaimed, "She came to us all the way from afar!" the crowd going wild, all of them impressed by her singing voice as she added, "From Texas, this hero rises above all! With her simplistic and tactical mind, she will surely make all villains who dare to face her fall!"

Blaziken smirked as Gardevoir continued, "With fire burning deep inside of her soul, to continue the family legacy is her goal! You'd better watch out, or you're gonna pay, because she will never hold back on any day!"

"Wow, I didn't know she could sing," Gallade uttered, Hitmonchan's eyes sparkling as Gardevoir belted, "Phoenix from Texas, her spirit and power outweigh many a fighter! With her amazing might, she'll prove that she is the best!"

And with that, a final melody started to play as the two performed vertical flips into the ring, landing on their feet and raising their arms in the air. And needless to say, the entire stadium was full of cheers and applause. This had truly been the best entrance so far as even Talonflame could not hide how invested in it he was.

However, the two who were the happiest of all were Florges and Masquerain, both clapping wildly as Florges exclaimed, "MAGNIFIQUE, TRES MAGNIFIQUE!" Masquerain whispering, "You were right. She's better than you," before letting down nervous sweat and uttering, "No offence."

Even Smeargle could not help but applaud her until Vespiquen gave him a cold stare, the beagle sighing and thinking, 'She's right. I need to keep my head in the game."

Diancie's eyes sparkled as she asked, "How is that girl not a pop idol?" Hoopa sighing, "Pay attention to the match."

And sure enough, Gallade, Hitmonchan and Machoke cheered especially loud, Gallade exclaiming, "That was so cool!"

Blaziken snickered and said, "Don't look now, but I think we did too good a job," Gardevoir giggling before thinking, 'Do you see how serious I am, Smeargle? I want you to be just as serious about this as I am.'

"Well, that certainly was something!" Nori exclaimed with a big grin, "But we came for a match, so once the teams pick who goes first, we can get this underway!" the crowd once again cheering.

With that in mind, Gardevoir gave Blaziken a sweet smile and said, "I know how much you'd like to go first, so go ahead," the chicken smirking and replying, "You're too kind."

Smeargle was just about to volunteer to go first when Vespiquen rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Before he could question this, the bee explained, "I know you're excited, but I want to gauge this opponent first before sending you in. Besides, it's like Nori said. I've never actually fought in an official match before."

The beagle nodded and replied, "Oui," though a part of him was secretly grateful for this. While his confidence had risen, he still did not feel completely ready, especially if the first opponent was Blaziken. He had seen her match with Onix on TV and knew she was no slouch.

And with that, Nori rang the bell as Blaziken immediately raced toward Vespiquen. The bee's eyes widened as she received a hard punch to her face. It did not end there as the chicken proceeded to reach her arms around her opponent's neck, applying all of her weight to send her chin into the mat.

The crowd went wild as Blaziken proceeded to latch her legs around Vespiquen's neck, shifting her arms up and pulling on the bee's arm. Blaziken's friends rose their arms in the air as Nori exclaimed, "And in no time flat, Blaziken has already gotten the advantage as she has Vespiquen in a triangle choke hold!

However, it seemed Vespiquen was not ready to give in just yet as she narrowed her eyelids, saying, "I have to admit, you are just as incredible as I had heard. Unfortunately for you, this isn't good enough," Blaziken rolling her eyes and remarking, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that before."

However, it seemed as if the bee was not kidding, the crowd staring in confusion as a smaller bee emerged from each of the six holes in her abdomen. With that, Gardevoir squeaked, "BLAZIKEN, GET AWAY FROM HER!" but it was too late as one the bees flew into Blaziken's cheek, forcing the chicken to release her hold.

And it did not end there as Vespiquen rose up, hovering in place while all six bees circled the chicken. And soon enough, the crowd was both shocked and confused when Blaziken found herself unable to move her arms and legs, Vespiquen exclaiming, "ATTACK ORDER!"

With that, she flipped her body all the way around, lifting up Blaziken with what seemed to be an invisible force and planting her face hard into the mat, the bees returning to Vespiquen as she implied a smirk. Even Nori was unsure of what just happened as for once during a match, she was at a loss for words.

"I don't get it," Machoke uttered, "What just happened?" Smeargle nodding and asking, "Oui, Mademoiselle Vespiquen, what exactly did you do?"

"Wait, I get it," Reika said, Keiko and the others staring at her as she added, "Those bees had strings attached to them, didn't they?" the crowd gasping as Vespiquen nodded and replied, "You're a smart one, but yes, these bees are my puppets," Vespiquen bringing them out again, "And before you say anything, Nori, this is not illegal as I was actually born with them inside of my abdomen. I control them with my mind, making them my deadliest weapon."

Blaziken slowly rose to her feet, gritting her teeth. Needless to say, this fight would not be so easy.


	9. Chapter 9

The crowd was truly astounded. Just as it seemed Vespiquen would not be much of a threat to Blaziken, she revealed an ability that no one could believe they had just witnessed. Even Smeargle was in absolute shock as he had not seen the bee fight until now.

"Are you alright, Blaziken?" Gardevoir asked as the chicken nodded with a smirk and remarked, "Come on, Gardevoir, you know full well it'll take more than one hit to keep me down."

With that, the chicken raced toward Vespiquen again only for her to release her smaller bees again. However, Blaziken felt prepared as when they passed by her, she stood on the tip of one toe before lifting up her free leg. Her foot then proceeded to catch flame as she spun around, exclaiming, "BLAZE KICK TWISTER!"

However, much to her shock, this seemed to do absolutely nothing as the bees once again flew around her, their strings binding her in place. And now her leg had been forced upward, said spot was in excruciating pain.

The chicken's eyes and beak were wide open as Vespiquen lifted her up, exclaiming, "ATTACK ORDER!" planting Blaziken's skull into the canvas before retracting the bees.

"I don't get it," Machoke uttered, "How did that not work?" the others equally confused as Vespiquen nodded and said, "I know what you were thinking. You figured that fire would be enough to burn through my string. Unfortunately for you, it's not exactly normal. Since the string is a part of me, it's made from the same material as my exoskeleton, so you could graze it all you want, but it won't be snapped in half or burned to a crisp, at least not that easily anyway."

Gardevoir whimpered at the sight of this and uttered, "Blaziken, would you like to switch with me?" the chicken taking a deep breath and rising to her feet, replying, "Not yet. This girl may have some impressive moves, but she's nothing compared to Aegislash."

Vespiquen tried not to feel offended by this as the chicken once again dashed toward her. However, the bee knew better than to try her Attack Order a third time and thus she waited for Blaziken to get close.

However, it seemed the chicken would not allow herself to take in another hit any time soon and thus, before the bee could even come up with a counter, she leapt into the air and performed a vertical flip. Vespiquen's eyes widened as she took an axe kick to the skull, landing on her back as Blaziken sent a second kick into her abdomen. And afterwards, she quickly kept her distance as she knew another submission hold would result in her being struck by the bees again.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And Blaziken makes up for earlier with a stellar comeback!" Vespiquen implying a smirk with her eyes and remarking, "This is what you call stellar? I wonder what you'd call this then."

With that, the bee rose up and once again started to hover in place, Blaziken smirking and asking, "So, you got anything besides those cheap bees of yours?" Vespiquen nodding and saying, "As a matter of fact, I do."

With that, the bee switched to the offensive as she flew toward Blaziken, setting up a hook. But just as the chicken was about to counter, Vespiquen swerved gracefully to the right, sending her claws into Blaziken's shoulder. The chicken's eyes widened as this ended up hurting a lot more than it should have. And thus she knelt down, clutching onto the wound as Vespiquen implied a wicked grin, sending a karate chop into the back of her neck thus causing her to fall flat on her face.

The crowd gasped as Machoke spat, "Hey, Blaziken, what the hell!? You've taken in far worse than this!" Smeargle's eyes sparkling as it seemed his ally was a lot tougher than he could have imagined.

"You have a point," Reika said with a frown, "None of those moves were anything special," Vespiquen smirking and saying, "That's because my claws have the ability to paralyse whoever they touch," the bee then rising into the air.

And at that moment, a big yellow stinger emerged from the middle of her abdomen's bottom, everyone staring as the bee descended toward Blaziken, shouting, "FELL STINGER!"

"BLAZIKEN!" Gardevoir squeaked with terror in her eyes, "GET UP!" but the chicken felt too weak as she took the stinger to her back, her eyes wide open as she coughed up blood.

Nori stared at this and said, "Blaziken had a good start, but Vespiquen is already proving herself a lot tougher than she looks. What she lacks in physical strength she makes up for with very unexpected yet also very effective techniques. And with Blaziken's style of fighting being very simple, this could be bad for her."

However, Talonflame refused to accept this as he rose to his feet, exclaiming, "COME ON, BLAZIKEN, GET UP! YOU TOOK EXTREME PUNISHMENT FROM ME AND STILL KEPT FIGHTING TO THE BITTER END!" Bisharp nodding and adding, "And you had the courage to face me at full strength while you were under extreme injury! The fact that you lasted more than five minutes proves to me that you are, indeed, tough!"

Machoke nodded with a big open-mouth smile as Vespiquen folded her arms, saying, "Strength has nothing to do with it. Her moves are predictable. Not using another submission hold was smart, but that's about the only thing I can praise you for."

And it seemed Blaziken thought the same thing as she slowly opened her eyes, gritting her teeth and grunting, "Alright, Gardevoir, give her hell for me," a big smirk on her face as she slowly walked over to the girl.

However, while Blaziken's movement was alarmingly slow after she had taken the big stinger to her back, Vespiquen did not take advantage of this. Instead, she folded her arms as if she was waiting for the chicken to switch with Gardevoir.

"Mademoiselle Vespiquen," Smeargle uttered, "What are you doing?" the bee implying a smirk and replying, "I was just thinking maybe I should give you a turn."

With that, Blaziken and Gardevoir gave each-other a high five before switching places, Vespiquen doing the same with Smeargle. And while this went on, Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "OH YEAH! I FINALLY GET TO SEE GARDEVOIR'S NEW SKILLS! KICK HIS ASS, HONEY!"

Gardevoir giggled in response to this and blew the boy a kiss, Smeargle taking a deep breath and trying his hardest not to panic. He had wanted to face the girl in an official match for a long time. The whole reason he joined the Grenoble tournament over a year ago was so he could have a shot at this. And yet now that it was finally happening, the beagle could not help but tense up. His eyes were wide as could be as sweat poured down his face, his teeth chattering.

Hoopa noticed this and frowned, folding his hands and asking, "What is this?" Diancie sighing, "He looks scared," the genie retorting, "I know that! He's not supposed to look scared! I swear, if Vespiquen made a mistake choosing this guy, I'm kicking her out of the group!"

Gardevoir could see just how nervous her friend was, but she would not hold back. It was as Florges said. If she did, it would likely come off as insulting to the beagle and she did not wish to insult her childhood friend.

However, she would at least try to ease his mind as she smiled sweetly, saying, "Well, didn't think we'd be here, did you?" Smeargle blinking as she added, "I remember you going on about how great it would be if we could fight in an official match, and here we are. I just want you to know I'm not going to hold back, so don't you dare do the same to me."

Vespiquen stared at the green girl and thought, 'Just as I thought, they are good friends. I just need to find a way to exploit this. She could ruin my chance to unleash his full potential if I'm not careful.'

However, it did seem that Smeargle's mind had been put at ease thanks to Gardevoir's words of encouragement, the beagle taking a deep breath and grinning, saying, "Oui, let's do this."

With that, he rushed toward the girl, thinking, 'I'll show you that I can be taken seriously. No more will I be the weak link of justice, the punching bag who does nothing more than allow villains to show off their skills!'

However, just as it looked like he was ready to strike Gardevoir, she immediately sent a hard slap into his cheek. The beagle's eyes widened as he flew back a bit, landing on his side and tumbling against the ground. This soon came to an end when his back ran straight into the turnbuckle while the crowd cheered for Gardevoir.

"And with one slap, Gardevoir sends Smeargle into the turnbuckle!" Nori exclaimed, "I heard she had trained with the great Psyla before her death, and we're already seeing some incredible results!"

"Damn straight!" Machoke exclaimed, getting up and adding, "That was awesome, sweetie! Keep it up!" Gallade uttering, "Actually, that shouldn't have dealt that much damage," Blaziken looking equally shocked.

Hitmonchan rose an eyebrow as Gallade uttered, "I'm not being disrespectful. You know I love my sister and will always cheer her on, but when she fought Blitzle, even after all her training, her slaps were not this powerful."

Talonflame blinked and stated, "Now that you mention it, she had a really tough time until that power of hers activated. I'm beginning to think maybe this Smeargle guy is about as weak as he looks."

However, Florges tried to remain calm as she thought, 'Good job, Gardevoir. Don't hold back no matter what,' Ralts and Kirlia both cheering in the back as unlike when Gardevoir faced Garchomp, they no longer feared that their presence would distract her.

Smeargle twitched all over as he slowly pushed himself back up to his feet, breathing heavily and gritting his teeth, Gardevoir ready for more as the beagle charged at her again. Just as the girl was about to send another slap his way, he ducked down and sent a sweep kick to her shin.

However, this barely did a thing as Gardevoir sent her knee into his face. Despite only having taken in two hits, the beagle had already coughed up blood as the girl proceeded to send both of her palms into his face, sending him careening into the turnbuckle again while the crowd went wild.

Hoopa was beyond irritated right now. What started off in their favour had immediately declined the exact second Vespiquen's partner entered the ring.

However, the bee had a plan as she asked, "Smeargle, would you like to trade places with me?" the beagle considering it.

But after a few seconds, he bit his lower lip and retorted, "Non!" shaking the pain off of his head and gritting his teeth, adding, "I can do this! I just need to try harder!"

"That's the spirit!" Gardevoir exclaimed as Blaziken sighed, "You may be happy, but I can't help but feel gypped. I actually like earning my victories."

Smeargle ignored the chicken's words and once again raced toward Gardevoir. But just as he got close, he took in yet another blow to the face. However, much to his shock, he was not sent flying this time as he took full of advantage of this, grabbing hold of the girl's arm and twisting it.

A smirk formed on his face as he exclaimed, "Oui! I finally got you!" only to notice his friend had taken in very little pain from this. And as stated before, she did not wish to insult him by holding back and as such, she sent her palm toward his cheek.

Unlike every other attack, she actually slowed it down a bit so when it hit, it still dealt pain but just barely enough to get the beagle to release his hold. He was not sent flying nor did the hit draw blood.

Vespiquen noticed this as Florges looked concerned. Even after all that, after it seemed like Gardevoir would take her words to heart, it seemed she had started to worry about Smeargle's pride too much. Sure, she tried her hardest to make it look like she still took the beagle seriously as an opponent, but it was plain as day to Florges and Vespiquen what was going on.

Machoke blinked and asked, "Did that guy get stronger?" Aipom shaking her head and replying, "At this point, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it. Gardevoir applied less force to those last two hits."

"Wait, so she's going easy on him now?" Gallade asked as Hitmonchan groaned, "Dammit, I know she's trying to be a good friend, but in an official match like this in front of hundreds, that's the ultimate insult. Does she even realize that?"

Deep down, Gardevoir did know this and it pained her, but at the same time, she really hoped this would at least give her friend a boost in confidence. And it seemed to do so as he smirked, saying, "Looks like my arm lock weakened you a bit."

But just as he was about to go in for more, Vespiquen shook her head and remarked, "No, Smeargle. That's not it at all," Gardevoir blinking and biting her lower lip, thinking, 'Please don't tell him.'

However, the bee had seen an opportunity here as she implied a scowl, saying, "Smeargle, Gardevoir does not take you seriously. She purposely weakened those last two hits so you wouldn't get badly hurt anymore."

Hoopa blinked and groaned, "Dammit, really? And here I thought he might actually have gotten stronger," Diancie sighing, "But no one builds up strength that quickly," the genie glaring at him as she uttered, "Well, not that I know of anyway. I guess it's possible."

"Wait, is this true?" Smeargle asked as Gardevoir bit her lower lip, Blaziken wanting to express some agreement but did not wish to turn against her friend like that.

"Well, if what we've heard is correct, it seems that Gardevoir might be showing mercy on her opponent," Nori stated, "She's certainly never done that before," Smeargle turning to the announcer and sighing, "It's because none of her past opponents were weak like moi."

He then sighed, "I appreciate what you've done, Gardevoir. You were simply trying to build my self-esteem, but all this did was tell me that I'm really not cut out for this line of work."

Hoopa then pulled on his own cheeks and groaned, "OH MY GOD, VESPIQUEN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"

But just as it looked like Smeargle was about to quit, Gardevoir ready to protest, Vespiquen saw another opportunity as she glared at the beagle, saying, "Don't you dare leave this ring."

Smeargle's eyes widened as the bee added, "Trust me on this one. The minute I saw you, I knew you had a power greater than anything I have ever witnessed. You may not think much of yourself, but you have what it takes. Your friend sees you as nothing more than a weakling, and that's why she held back!"

"No, it's not true!" Gardevoir protested as Vespiquen sighed, "Who are you kidding? You never once took him seriously as an opponent and this is how you've chosen to communicate that to him," the girl shaking her head.

Smeargle gritted his teeth, a low growl coming from him as Nori asked, "Is Smeargle going to show us a new side of himself, folks?" the beagle's body suddenly twitching as he held onto the sides of his head, letting out a loud roar of both agony and fury.

'Non, I can't turn against Mademoiselle Gardevoir,' he thought as Vespiquen said, "There, unleash your true potential and make her pay for looking down on you!"

The beagle then took many deep breaths and thought, 'She's right. All these years, I thought Mademoiselle Gardevoir respected moi, but she never did! She has never had an ounce of confidence in moi, and she has proven that today!'

With that in mind, he took a deep breath as a green aura surrounded him, no one believing this as the beagle turned toward Gardevoir, saying, "Gardevoir, I came into this match hoping to at least prove myself better than usual, but now I intend to win, and I'll prove myself by making you the first opponent I ever truly defeated!"

"Smeargle, this isn't like you!" Gardevoir protested as Blaziken uttered, "You might wanna end the small talk."

And it seemed so as the beagle let out another loud roar, his pupils vanishing as two extra tails sprouted out of his rear end. As if that was not enough, his paint brush tips were rounder now, making them look more like onions, his teeth becoming sharper as his arms slightly increased in width. Not by a lot, but enough for people to notice.

No one could believe what they had just seen. Sure, the change was not major, but to see a hero transform like that was still a rare sight.

"Smeargle?" Gardevoir uttered with concern, the beagle exclaiming, "Don't worry about moi! I am the opponent, therefor you should be worried about yourself!"

'Non!' Florges thought as Masquerain uttered, "Did you know he could do that?" the flower girl shaking her head and thinking, 'I knew taking him lightly would lower his spirits, but I didn't think it would have an effect like this.'

Lucario looked especially tense as this reminded him of what happened every time a certain blue aura surrounded him during the Olympics. Each time it happened, he would lose control and resort to dirty tactics. Sure, his strength would increase greatly, but it always came at a price.

And it seemed the same might very well have happened to Smeargle as he charged toward Gardevoir with his tails at the ready, the girl too shocked to move right now as Blaziken snapped, "HEY, GARDEVOIR, MOVE!"

However, by the time she snapped out of her trance, it was too late as the Smeargle's tails seemed to expand in length, the beagle sending them rapidly into the girl's gut while barking, "TRIPLE TAIL BRUSH BARRAGE!"

Everyone stared in shock as Smeargle had gone from dealing little to no pain to actually drawing blood from Gardevoir's mouth. And after striking her thirty times, he proceeded to send all three tails into the same spot, sending her flying toward the ropes as she pressed up against them, resting her arms over them with a look of terror in her eyes.

"What just happened?" Machoke uttered as Aipom whimpered, "I don't know, but I don't like it."

"Wow!" Nori exclaimed, "I can't believe my eyes! It seemed like Smeargle was a complete weakling, but with one move, he's proven this announcer dead wrong!" the beagle howling into a air with a grin on his face, exclaiming, "TRES MAGNIFIQUE! THAT FELT ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!"

Vespiquen implied a smile with her eyes as Hoopa stared in stunned silence, Diancie saying, "Guess Vespiquen made the right choice after all."

Hoopa's shock turned to a maniacal grin as he said, "I'd say she did more than that. It's just like she said. This guy is perfect."

And with that, the bell rang, signalling that it was time for the tornado tag portion to start up. However, Gardevoir was unsure of what to do as Blaziken leapt into the ring and patted her on the shoulders, asking, "You okay?"

The girl bit her lower lip and whimpered, "I-I did this, didn't I?" the chicken sighing, "Look, it doesn't matter how this started. The thing is, I don't think that's your friend there standing in the ring before us. As such, I think the best thing you can do right now is snap him out of his state."

Gardevoir stared for a few seconds before nodding, a more serious look forming. After all, she felt that her holding back had brought this darker side out. As long as she took him seriously again, he would have no reason to act like this, or at least that was what she figured.

With that, Vespiquen joined her partner and said, "Excellent work. You showed an incredible amount of strength and skill back there. But that's only one move. Let's show them more, shall we?" the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui!" a wicked smirk forming on his face now.

With that, Smeargle rushed toward Gardevoir, swinging his tails at her only for her to grab hold of them with her palms. However, Smeargle saw this coming as he lifted her up, lowering his tails thus slamming her chin into the canvas.

Seeing this, Blaziken rushed toward the beagle in an attempt to save her partner only for Vespiquen to get behind her, wrapping her arms around the chicken and lifting her up, leaning back and planting the back of her neck into the canvas. Now the crowd was worried, especially Machoke and the others. They knew Vespiquen was tougher than she looked, but she did not seem like the kind would be able to lift up someone like Blaziken so easily.

Even so, Blaziken ignored the pain, smirked and said, "Big mistake," wrapping her legs around the bee's neck before performing a handstand, flipping Vespiquen over her body and sending her skull into the mat with a frankensteiner.

However, while Blaziken had gotten free from her hold, she noticed that Smeargle had his back turned to Gardevoir as the girl was trapped in one of his own holds. Two of his tails bound her arms in place while the middle one was wrapped around her neck, the beagle pulling hard and bending her back.

While this happened, Smeargle smirked and asked, "What was it Ninetales called her version of this move? The Kitsune Backbreaker? I think I'll call this the Beagle Backbreaker!"

Machoke was in far too much panic watching his girlfriend take in so much pain to comment on how stupid that name sounded and thus exclaimed, "COME ON, GARDEVOIR! YOU CAN FIGHT THIS!"

The girl gasped as she eyed Machoke, the boy adding, "It's true, Ninetales had a submission hold just like that, but her version was stronger! She used all nine of her tails while this guy only has three! Surely you can get out of this!"

"Oh, I have no doubt she can," Smeargle replied with a smirk as he proceeded to lean forward, latching his legs around Gardevoir's and performing a handstand. With that, he proceeded to flip the rest of his body, sending the girl's skull into the canvas as she coughed up blood once more.

Seeing that Vespiquen could no longer fight back, Blaziken charged at the beagle and leapt toward him, taking hold of his ears with her legs reeled back. Smeargle's eyes widened as her feet caught fire, the chicken shouting, "BLAZE KICK!" sending it hard into his back as he fell flat on his face.

The crowd went wild as Vespiquen slowly got up, scowling at this as Nori exclaimed, "Just as it looked like the Fiery Beauties would be done for, Blaziken has managed to help out her team mate and bring the advantage back with that famous finishing move, the legendary Blaze Kick! We haven't seen that move in quite some time, have we, folks!?"

With that, Blaziken helped Gardevoir up as Smeargle continued to lie on his belly, saying, "Come on, let's give that Vespiquen a taste of our teamwork."

"Right," Gardevoir replied with a sigh as Machoke and the others cheered wildly, Gallade breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "I was worried for a second there."

And with that, Gardevoir took hold of Blaziken's arms and lifted her up, spinning her around as the chicken's feet caught fire again. Vespiquen unleashed her smaller bees, prepared to fight back when Gardevoir released her hold on the chicken, both exclaiming, "ROARING PHOENIX!"

Vespiquen's eyes widened with shock as Blaziken's flame became the shape of a phoenix head, her feet hitting the bee hard in the chest as she fell hard on her back, coughing up green blood. And it did not end there as Gardevoir leapt toward her and spat, "GET A LOAD OF THIS!" lifting the bee up by the shoulders and wrapping her arms around her.

Unbeknownst to everyone, though, Smeargle had enough consciousness to watch the events unfold, shifting his tails around in an odd pattern as Gardevoir leapt high into the air, thinking, 'This is what ultimately won our match with Aegislash and Blitzle. I just know this will work,' a light smile forming as her mind added, 'Are you watching, Machoke? I want you to see my new signature move.'

Machoke's eyes sparkled as the girl flipped her body upside-down, spinning toward the mat while a gust of wind formed around her. Vespiquen closed her eyes tight, Hoopa and Diancie both mortified as Gardevoir slammed the bee's head hard into the canvas, squealing, "TORNADO BUSTER!"

With that, she released her hold on the bee and allowed her to collapse as the audience went wild, Nori exclaiming, "NEVER BEFORE HAS THIS BEEN SEEN BY PUBLIC EYES! IT SEEMS GARDEVOIR HAS A NEW FINISHING MOVE!"

"That was amazing!" Machoke exclaimed with a big grin as Gallade uttered, "How long has she been able to use that?" Hitmonchan's jaw dropped as she said, "Your sister is awesome."

However, just as quickly as things had started to look up, panic returned to the crowd as Smeargle slowly rose to his feet, looking as if the Blaze Kick from earlier meant nothing as he growled, "Did you honestly think one powerful hit would be enough to take moi down?"

Gardevoir pursed her lip but remembered that she had to take this seriously now. Right now, the fighter before her was not Smeargle, at least not in her eyes. She had to do all she could to return him to normal, and with Vespiquen seeming to be down for the count, this might just be possible.


	10. Chapter 10

All was silent in the arena as no one knew how to react to this. It seemed like Blaziken's Blaze Kick had finished Smeargle for good and yet he was still standing.

But on the upside, Vespiquen seemed to be out cold after taking two extremely powerful moves. Perhaps the Fiery Beauties could still earn themselves a victory today.

Ralts and Kirlia seemed to think so as they were cheering heavily, Florges taking a deep breath and thinking, 'He may be standing, but he's at a disadvantage again. I just really hope those two can break him out of this state. I liked him much better before.'

However, Masquerain had the biggest dimples on her face right now as she said, "Wow, Gardevoir's amazing. Not only does she have great singing talent, but she's surprisingly strong for one of her stature."

"Oui," Florges replied, "According to her emails, she and Gallade spend an hour a day training at a local gym. The reason for this is because Gardevoir does not wish to rely on her hidden power to win every one of her matches."

Masquerain had to admit, she was very slowly but surely becoming a fangirl of Gardevoir's, but even so, this did not change the fact that Smeargle looked even more frightening than before. Blaziken frowned at the sight of this and said, "Come on, he's alone. Let's show him what we can do."

Gardevoir nodded as she said, "Let's try that combination attack we've been practising," the chicken smirking and replying, "Oh yeah, that might just be enough."

With that, Blaziken sprinted toward Smeargle. The beagle attempted to stop her only for the chicken to leap over him, flying toward the ropes and planting her feet up against them. Gardevoir then proceeded to leap toward him while Blaziken propelled herself off of the ropes, both girls holding their arms out.

Once again, Smeargle's tails shifted in an odd formation as strangely enough, he did not even attempt to dodge this. And soon enough, both arms rammed into his neck from each side as Blaziken and Gardevoir exclaimed, "ECLIPSE HOOK!"

The crowd went wild as Nori stated, "And in another stunning display, the Fiery Beauties have doubled the strength of Gardevoir's famous Moon Hook, the first finishing move we saw from her! While a very simple move, it packs an incredible punch, being the only move to actually make the mighty Garchomp flinch when the two fought each-other!"

Machoke held his hands over his head and clapped, exclaiming, "YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!" before sighing, "I can see why Gardevoir wanted to team up with Blaziken. Those two make an excellent team."

Gallade nodded as Talonflame cheered, exclaiming, "THAT A GIRL, BLAZIKEN! SHOW THAT MUTT WHO'S BOSS!"

However, despite the added force, both girls were shocked to see that Smeargle seemed to take in no pain. As if that was not enough, he also proceeded to lift up his arms, grabbing hold of theirs before spinning his body around, sending each one flying into a different turnbuckle.

The crowd stared in shock as Nori uttered, "It looks like Smeargle took in no pain whatsoever as he immediately counters with an impressive throw. Again, is this really the same guy who took in nothing but massive damage from Gardevoir's simplest moves?"

"I'm more curious as to why that didn't hurt him when Blaze Kick knocked him down for more than ten seconds," Hitmonchan stated as Tsuya uttered, "Now that you mention it, that's kind of creepy."

Smeargle heard this as he smirked and replied, "If you must know, it's because Blaze Kick didn't really hurt me as much as I let on," the others staring as he added, "To be fair, it was strong enough to knock me down, but I could have easily gotten up right away if I wanted to."

Blaziken shook the pain off of her head and stared in utter horror at the sound of this. Blaze Kick had ended so many of her matches. How could this be true?

"The truth is, I stayed down to make the Fiery Beauties think they had beaten moi," Gardevoir biting her lower lip and trembling, Blaziken retorting, "That's bullshit! You're telling me you pretended to be knocked out while we went to town on your partner!? You weren't even planning to prevent her from taking in all that damage!?" pointing at the still-unconscious Vespiquen.

"She makes a good point," Gardevoir uttered with a look of uncertainty, "Why would you do that?" Smeargle smirking and replying, "There was something I wanted to do first, and I'm going to demonstrate it on you."

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Blaziken snapped as she charged at him only for the beagle to perform a handstand, spinning his tails around and shouting, "PAINTER'S FLAIL!" striking the chicken with all three tails and sending her careening into the turnbuckle again.

With that, Gardevoir refused to see what he had planned next as she rushed toward him only for Smeargle to smirk, leaping toward her with his arm out. The crowd gasped in shock as the beagle exclaimed, "MOON HOOK!" ramming his arm hard into Gardevoir's neck, the girl coughing up blood and landing on her back.

"And in a stunning display, Smeargle has turned Gardevoir's own move against her!" Nori exclaimed as Machoke gritted his teeth, grunting, "I'm starting to wonder why this guy is Gardevoir's best friend from Paris," the others wondering the same thing.

And the onslaught did not end there as Smeargle proceeded to lift Gardevoir up, leaping high into the air. Before anyone could even comprehend what was going on, the beagle proceeded to wrap his arms around the girl before spinning rapidly, a twister forming around his body as he flipped upside-down, headed toward the canvas.

"OH MY GOD, IS HE USING WHAT I THINK HE IS!?" Nori spat as Aipom exclaimed, "No way! We've only seen this move used once and he's already mastered it!?" Machoke absolutely mortified as Smeargle shouted, "TORNADO BUSTER!"

With that, Gardevoir's skull was slammed into the mat as she coughed up even more blood. Blaziken had recovered just in time to see this, a look of sheer terror in her expression. And to make matters worse, Vespiquen had finally recovered from all the damage dealt earlier, a big smile implied with her eyes.

"Oh my god, this just keeps getting better and better!" Hoopa exclaimed with a big grin, Diancie saying, "I wonder how he managed to pull that off."

Various members of the crowd wondered the same thing. However, Aipom seemed to understand as her eyes widened, the monkey squeaking, "I think I figured it out! I noticed that when Gardevoir used each of those moves, Smeargle shifted his tails in an odd pattern."

The others stared at her as Machoke uttered, "Now that you mention it-" Scyther nodding and asking, "Are you saying he somehow copied her moves by doing that?"

"That is exactly what I did, Mademoiselle Scyther," Smeargle replied with a smirk as the audience was even more interested than before, the beagle adding, "This is an ability I've always had, but I've never been able to use it before suffering defeat before. It's a family technique called Sketch. When used, it locks the memory of a certain move used by an opponent in our minds so we can use it perfectly whenever we feel like doing so. In other words, Gardevoir, those two finishing moves you used earlier are now mine as well."

The crowd was truly astounded, Machoke uttering, "Okay, this guy just got even scarier," and his reaction made sense. If he was to fight this guy, who was to say all of his finishing moves would not be sketched as well?

Many other heroes in the crowd were thinking it too as Gardevoir coughed before slowly pushing herself up, giving the beagle an angry look. This was a rare sight from her. Even when she faced villains, she would always be serious, but never angry. However, at this moment, she was furious.

"Quoi?" Smeargle asked with a shrug of his shoulders, "You all upset because someone else knows your signature moves?" Gardevoir refusing to respond to this question.

The truth was that she had no problem with that. After all, Machoke had used her Moon Hook against Lucario in the Olympic finals and she was ecstatic when she saw that. But the difference there was that Machoke had used the ability as a way of showing how much his friends had helped him get through the toughest of matches while also getting the drop on an opponent who could read all of his own finishing moves. Smeargle, on the other hand, seemed to have done this out of spite and Gardevoir would not stand for that.

"You were right," the girl uttered, turning to Blaziken as the chicken rose an eyebrow, Gardevoir adding, "This is not the Smeargle I know. It's obvious that I need to do everything I can to stop him."

And with that in mind, the girl focused hard as her hands soon had a violet glow around them. Machoke grinned wide and exclaiming, "OH YEAH, YOU'RE IN TROUBLE NOW!"

All of the others cheered wildly as Reika exclaimed, "So she really can use the power again!" the audience having almost forgotten all about that glow that gave her an immense burst of strength back in the day.

And the girl intended to make full use of this, rushing toward Smeargle as Vespiquen stared in shock, thinking, 'I can feel it. She's become much more of a threat than she was before.'

But just as the bee was about to rush in and help her ally, Blaziken leapt at her and sent a fierce knee kick to the side of her head, knocking her on her side. Although Smeargle would not allow the girl to get so close to him as he swung his tails at her.

Gardevoir once again grabbed them, though unlike before, she now had the strength to overpower the beagle's new strength. As such, she used this chance to bind the tails together before swinging her arms upward, sending Smeargle high above the mat.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "ALRIGHT, FOLKS, WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THAT AMAZING FINISHER THAT HAS STOPPED SO MANY OF GARDEVOIR'S OPPONENTS PRIOR TO THIS MATCH!" and the announcer was right as Gardevoir leapt up to Smeargle's level, taking hold of his head and flipping him upside-down.

She then proceeded to descend with him, her legs rising above her head as Smeargle had more than enough consciousness to see what she was doing, especially since his head was facing her. As such, he shifted his tails again, just finishing the sketch when his skull was slammed into the mat, Gardevoir squealing, "METEOR BOMB!"

The crowd cheered even louder now, Machoke applauding his girlfriend as the hit had left a big indent in the material. Smeargle's eyes were wide with shock as he actually coughed up blood this time, falling on his back while Gardevoir rose to her feet, breathing heavily.

Vespiquen slowly positioned herself upright as Hoopa uttered, "Wow, that girl just got really scary," Diancie nodding and saying, "She's clearly stronger than she looks, but I don't think she was that strong before."

And Diancie would soon learn how right she was when Nori stated, "We haven't seen that violet glow in well over a year. It was said that Gardevoir had merged with her power when she faced Hitmontop and thus was unable to create it anymore. But she has stated in an interview that Psyla taught her to go beyond that and still form the power that made her a real force to be reckoned with, and we've now seen proof of this."

Florges clapped wildly and exclaimed, "ONCE AGAIN, TRES MAGNIFIQUE!" Masquerain staring in stunned silence and uttering, "Wow, she just keeps getting cooler every minute."

Ralts and Kirlia were also ecstatic, both of them so proud of their daughter. It was truly amazing how throughout this match, she just kept overcoming each and every disadvantage thrown her way.

Gardevoir smiled at Machoke and thought, 'I'm so glad you could see my new, improved power in action,' before looking down at her opponent as her mind added, 'Though I have to make sure they're both knocked out. I only have this power for three minutes, so I need to make every second count.'

However, Vespiquen was not about to sit back and allow her ally to lose and thus she raced toward the girl with malice in her eyes. And when Blaziken tried to stop her, the bee swerved to the right and sent her claws into her shoulder, the chicken now unable to move her legs for the time being.

With that in mind, Vespiquen unleashed her smaller bees and exclaimed, "Now I can see who's the true powerhouse of this team!" sending the bees toward Gardevoir as they flew around her, the strings binding her in place.

But just as it looked like Vespiquen would use her Attack Order, Gardevoir easily overpowered the strings and stood on the tips of her toes. She then proceeded to twirl just like a dancer, swinging the bee around before slamming her hard into the turnbuckle, causing her to release her hold as the crowd cheered wildly.

"And it would seem Gardevoir's power has allowed her to escape from Vespiquen's powerful string!" Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing comeback!" Vespiquen's eyes wide with shock as Gardevoir raced toward her, sending her palm hard into the bee's chin.

And it did not end there as the girl unleashed a torrent of slaps, dealing considerable pain as the crowd went even wilder. But just as Blaziken was about to join her and add to the damage, she noticed Smeargle slowly rise to his feet, a look of shock on his face. He could not believe how much that Meteor Bomb had hurt, especially when the finishing moves used earlier had not even come close.

But even so, he had managed to successfully sketch the move, but just as he was about to take advantage of this, Blaziken leapt at him from behind and exclaimed, "I DON'T THINK SO!"

She then grabbed hold of his ears and prepared another Blaze Kick only for Smeargle to smirk and cup his tail brushes together, sending all three into the chicken's gut. This caused her to cough up blood, releasing her hold as he folded his arms and looked down at her, asking, "Did you honestly think I would fall victim to that again?"

"Well, it caught you off-guard before," Blaziken grunted as the beagle proceeded to turn around, binding her with his tails while replying, "Actually, it didn't," Gardevoir stopping her assault and gasping upon hearing this.

Smeargle then proceeded to leap high into the air with Blaziken still in his grasp, releasing her from his tails only to turn around and grab hold of her head, flipping her upside-down while explaining, "As you know, I pretended to be unconscious so I could copy one of Gardevoir's finishing moves. In fact, me being knocked down was all part of my plan."

The two then descended toward the mat, Gardevoir's eyes wide with shock as Vespiquen used this chance to grab hold of her shoulders, the girl grasping the bee's arms and flipping her over her head and onto her back, Smeargle adding, "When I saw you set up the move, I let you connect it so I could fake unconsciousness."

Blaziken was too shocked to even struggle against the hold she was in, Gardevoir squeaking, "BLAZIKEN!" only for the chicken's head to hit the mat hard, Smeargle exclaiming, "METEOR BOMB!"

With that, Blaziken coughed up blood and passed out from the pressure, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. Everyone stared in stunned silence as Talonflame got up from his seat, roaring, "HEY, BLAZIKEN, THAT WAS NOTHING! SURELY YOU CAN GET UP FROM THAT!"

Lopunny took hold of his arm and shook her head, everyone else concerned now as Machoke groaned, "Oh no, I don't even think Gardevoir could take them both at once, even with her new power!"

But the girl refused to let it end here as she leapt over Vespiquen, planting her feet into the bee's gut before flying at Smeargle with her arm out. However, the beagle was ready this time as held up both his arms, stopping her in her tracks with a smirk on his face.

As Vespiquen rose to her feet, the beagle grinned and said, "Come on, let's show them that team move we've been working on," the bee nodding with an implied smile and saying, "Of course."

Before Gardevoir could even respond, Smeargle took hold of her wrist and slammed her onto her belly, leaping high into the air as Vespiquen flew up to his level. The beagle then took hold of her arms as her stinger emerged from the middle of her abdomen, the two descending toward Gardevoir's back.

"ASTEROID HARPOON!" the two exclaimed, sending it hard into the very spot they had aimed at. Gardevoir's eyes and mouth were wide open as she coughed up blood, the girl's head falling forward as her face hit the mat hard.

And with that, the violet glow faded despite her still having a minute left to use it. There was no doubt about it now. She had been knocked unconscious and would not get up anytime soon.

And with both Fiery Beauties out like a light, Nori started the ten count as all went quiet among the crowd, Hoopa with the biggest grin on his face as Vespiquen nodded at Smeargle in approval. He had truly impressed her today as he had finally taken the first step to making a true name for himself.

Florges immediately rose to her feet and exclaimed, "GARDEVOIR, GET UP!" Machoke nodding and shouting, "COME ON, I KNOW YOU CAN DO THIS!" Talonflame still refusing to believe that Blaziken was really done for.

The others started to cheer for the duo as well, but it was too late. Nori had reached the number ten as she rang the bell and exclaimed, "And after the longest and most intense match so far, this victory goes to the Elegant Warriors!"

No one knew whether to cheer or not. On one hand, to the best of their knowledge, the victory had gone to a pair of heroes. But on the other hand, Blaziken and Gardevoir were much more popular not to mention Smeargle and Vespiquen's methods seemed questionable.

Even Lucario was starting to wonder if Smeargle was even a hero as the beagle's psychotic look suddenly became a content smile, the beagle raising his arm in the air, exclaiming, "Merci beaucoup, you lovely people! You all came to witness my first victory on Earth! This is greatly appreciated!"

Hearing these words, the crowd seemed convinced as their looks of shock slowly changed to smiles, all of them now applauding the beagle. And of course, some of them also cheered for Vespiquen, but right now, Smeargle was the true man of the hour.

After all, it was just like he said. This was his first real victory, the first time he had ever stood a chance during a match. And though not everyone knew of his poor track record, it was still a sight of behold.

However, there was still malice within Smeargle as he glared down at Gardevoir, saying, "As you can plainly see, I didn't need your pity. I can hold my own just fine, merci."

Vespiquen implied a smile with her eyes as she took the beagle's hand, the two walking out of the ring in a proper fashion. Machoke scowled at Smeargle before turning to the ring and racing toward it, his anger now replaced by concern. After all, his friend and girlfriend had taken in unbelievable punishment and would likely need medical help now.

And sure enough, the others followed behind him as he climbed into the ring, kneeling down before Gardevoir and holding her head up. He took a deep breath and asked, "You okay, honey?" the boy hearing feint breathing but not much else. Unfortunately, it was as he feared. Neither girl would get up anytime soon.

Aipom stared with concern as Machoke gritted his teeth, grunting, "Mark my words, Gardevoir. If those two make it past the second round, I swear I'll knock some sense into Smeargle for you. Don't feel like your efforts were in vain."

Hawlucha had joined him as well as he rested a hand on the boy's shoulder, nodding with a warm smile and saying, "Si. We'll help him remember why he and you were such good amigos before."

And with that, a medical team came in with two stretchers, gently setting each girl on one. Machoke watched in silence as the two were carried out of the dome, Aipom smiling at the boy and saying, "I'm sure you can do it."

Nori blinked and said, "Well, after three very exciting matches, I feel like it's time for an hour-long break. We'll do this after the next three matches as well, so until then, you're all free to get up, stretch, walk around and do whatever else you'd like. But remember, you only have an hour."

Machoke just wanted to run off and stay by Gardevoir's side when Aipom tapped him on the side, saying, "You'll need to stick around and watch the other fights. After all, every one of these teams consists of possible opponents for you."

The boy let out a sigh and groaned, "You're right," Reika giving him a sweet smile and saying, "I'm sure Gardevoir wouldn't want you to miss these matches, anyway."

As much as the boy still felt like bolting, he knew his friends were right. He had to study each and every team, even if he knew he would not face most of them.

Florges, on the other hand, rose to her feet along with Kirlia and Ralts, all three running from the stadium to ride in the back of the hospital van. And it was not long until Masquerain decided to join them.

And as she did, Florges looked at her and said, "You really don't have to do this," the butterfly sighing, "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you go to the hospital by yourself? If Gardevoir's such a good friend to you, it's only natural I'd wanna be there for her too."

The flower girl took a deep breath and replied, "Merci beaucoup," as Gallade watched his parents head outside.

He wanted so badly to join them, but he knew he had to stick around for his own match. After all, it was not too far away.

Hitmonchan noticed this, patting him on the shoulder with a smile and saying, "Come on, darling, let's win our match for Gardevoir's sake. I'm sure at the very least, she'll be happy to have someone in the family make it to the second round."

The boy nodded with a grin and replied, "Yeah, you're right," the two sharing a kiss.

And with that, everyone got up to use the hour as seen fit. Machoke was unsure of whether or not to use this time until Hawlucha rested a hand on his shoulder, giving him a warm smile and suggesting they at least have lunch. After all, Gardevoir would not wish for her boyfriend to worry about her, not when he had some downtime now.

Lucario had decided to spend this hour training with Clauncher. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had taken quick glances at Hoopa and Diancie during the match. He could tell they had some sort of connection to Vespiquen and had gotten bad vibes from all three. At the very least, he intended to defeat these two.

And of course, Scyther and Talonflame had decided to do the same. After all, Scyther was not the kind to slack off before a big match, even if her opponents were friends of hers.

Gallade and Hitmonchan, especially after deciding to win for Gardevoir's sake, went off to train as well. Though they had also agreed to spare an extra half-hour so they could have themselves a brief lunch date, perhaps even join Machoke and Hawlucha.

Needless to say, tensions had truly risen. It was only the first round and yet the audience had already been treated to something absolutely brutal. Who was to say the next few matches would be anything less?


	11. Chapter 11

After Gardevoir and Blaziken had suffered such a heavy loss, the spirits of their friends had certainly gone down. The first two matches may have been rough, but each one ended with a satisfying result, none of the teams feeling resentful toward one-another. And yet Smeargle, despite being Gardevoir's childhood friend, had shown so much malice and spite during his match that his victory felt more like him ending his friendship with her as opposed to him just trying to win the tournament.

Even so, they tried to remain spirited for her sake. Gallade and Hitmonchan were hard at work, using the training facility to build up their strength for their upcoming match. And of course, Scyther and Talonflame were at it as well, both sparring with one-another as neither could think of a better partner for this.

However, Lucario and Clauncher were much more focused on Hoopa and Diancie. The two just rubbed Lucario the wrong way and as such, he felt fortunate that he had a chance to defeat them before anyone else.

Though those who had already fought decided to enjoy some downtime. Machoke was hesitant at first, but he knew better than to let his girlfriend worry about him and thus, he was enjoying a nice, simple lunch with Hawlucha and his family. Isabel had started to warm up to Machoke and thus had no problem with him sitting with them for this.

Aipom was also seated with them as Machoke asked, "Any idea where the girls are?" Aipom replying, "Reika decided to check up on Scyther. Though for some reason, Cici and Tsuya decided to go with her."

Machoke nodded and replied, "Well, I'm not too surprised by Reika and Tsuya. Everyone knows by now that Reika has a thing for Scyther and Tsuya can't stop obsessing over Talonflame, but what reason could Cici possibly have?"

Isabel rose an eyebrow and asked, "Reika's into girls?" Hawlucha nodding and saying, "I had my suspicions, but I didn't think they were true."

Meanwhile, in said area, the girls were watching the two heroes train as Talonflame turned to them and said, "You know, you don't have to watch us. You can do whatever you want," Tsuya resting her chin atop her hands and sighing, "But this is what I wanna do."

The falcon shuddered at this as Scyther asked, "Still, are you sure you don't want to do something else?" Reika shaking her head and replying, "I wanna make sure you two have what it takes to win this tournament."

Cici nudged Reika as the black-haired girl sighed, whispering, "Not yet. It'll likely throw her off," her blue-haired friend shrugging her shoulders and replying, "You'll need to tell her someday."

Meanwhile, Gothitelle and Mawile were busy preparing for their own match. After all, theirs was the first to come after the break and needless to say, Mawile was beyond nervous. And it made sense as she was currently the youngest hero fighting on Earth, what with her being thirteen while all the others were over the age of fourteen. Not only that, but Metang looked absolutely frightening.

Seeing this, Gothitelle let out a sigh and gave her partner a light smile, saying, "Come on, I know you can do this. You pretty much bested me when we fought in the Reverse World. That would have been your win if you didn't forfeit," Mawile sighing, "I know, but Metang is so big and strong. That and he's made of metal."

Mawile's ponytail proceeded to let out low growling sounds as Gothitelle nodded and said, "Your mother's right. You're not alone in this match," the girl giving her friend a light smile and nodding.

Metang was just as serious about this match, if not more. He wanted to plough his way through the competition in the hopes of facing Lucario in a rematch. While a part of him was certain the dog was no longer the psycho who blew up his arms, he still felt like he deserved some vengeance for that.

Starmie, of course, worked hard as well, practising her spin moves on a punching bag. She then took a breather before saying, "Hey, I thought up a new technique last night."

"You don't say," the cyborg replied as the starfish nodded and stated, "Yeah, I'm waiting for the match to reveal it to the world. I think even you'll be surprised by it."

Metang folded his arms and replied, "Well, I look forward to seeing it in action," Starmie feeling beyond grateful to have Metang as her partner. After all, he was the one who inspired her to start coming up with more original moves.

Meanwhile, Kirlia and Ralts continued to stay by their daughter's side in the hospital with Florges and Masquerain standing against the wall to give them space. And while looking at her daughter, Kirlia sighed, "Don't let this loss get to you. Your father and I are very proud. You put up an amazing fight back there," Ralts adding, "I'm just glad you'll be okay."

The man then frowned and added, "I still can't believe how malicious Smeargle was back there. He always struck me as such a nice guy. What could have possibly made him act out like that?"

"It's because Gardevoir took him lightly," Florges cut in, soon covering her face as she realized such a comment was out of line, or at least she saw it that way.

The parents turned to her as Florges sighed, "I told Gardevoir that Smeargle wouldn't be happy if she held back. For any serious fighter, such an act is considered an insult, non?"

Kirlia was silent for a few seconds but ultimately nodded and replied, "That's true. I did notice that after a while, she stopped using her full strength."

"Now that you mention it," Ralts added while rubbing his chin, "When Smeargle caught her in that arm lock, it was because she didn't use full force. He must have felt insulted beyond compare."

Kirlia looked at her daughter with concern and said, "Well, I'm sure Smeargle knows by now that she meant nothing bad by doing that. He'll probably be back to his old, kind self in no time," a light smile on her face as Masquerain was unsure of this.

She did not wish to break their current mood, but deep down, she had a feeling they were wrong about this. If anything, Smeargle did not seem nearly as angry at Gardevoir at first. If anything, Vespiquen seemed to have influenced it.

In fact, no one knew a thing about the bee until now. Who was to say she was even a hero? After all, villains had made their way into tournaments for heroes through deception before.

Back when Talonflame fought in the Next Gen Battle, he had originally disguised himself as a golem named Golurk and claimed to be a hero. And after his true form was exposed, he went under the name Fiarrow and still claimed to be a hero and was not exposed until the finals when he faced Machoke. And the same went for Ninetales, only she had convinced herself she was a hero before being reminded of the horrible crime she had committed in her childhood.

However, with no definitive proof, Masquerain did not wish to say anything. If anything, she would use the next break as a means of finding out the truth. Not only did she wish to know whether or not Vespiquen could be trusted, but she also wanted to know who had sabotaged her and Florges' chances in the mountain climbing race and get said hero disqualified for breaking the rules.

And soon enough, the hour was up as the seats were once again filled, excitement building up in the crowd. Machoke's spirits had also lifted within that hour as his friends reassured him Gardevoir would be fine. Though a part of him still wished he could have been with her in the hospital right now.

With that, Nori cleared her throat and exclaimed, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the fourth match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament!" the crowd cheering as she added, "I have to say, these first three matches have really been something, but remember, it's not over yet! We still have five more matches before the first round comes to a close!"

The woman proceeded to point toward the Eastern entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, one is a towering cyborg with incredible strength! He gave Lucario a real run for his money in the Hero Olympics and stands before us today, most likely seeking vengeance for what the world champ did to his forearms! And the other was actually this cyborg's opponent in the first round, a spirited starfish who's a lot stronger than she looks! Introducing the Iron Stars!"

The crowd went wild as Metang marched toward the ring, Starmie seated atop his head with sparklers in her hands. Metang then proceeded to hold her up as the sun shone bright behind her, the crowd truly amazed by this sight.

And as the two entered the ring, many applauded the entrance as Machoke sighed, "Come on, how is that anywhere near as impressive as our entrance? They're just lucky the sun happened to be in the right spot," Aipom sighing, "A little simplicity is not a bad thing."

Nori then pointed at the Eastern entrance and stated, "In the blue corner, one is a surprisingly powerful goth. She was originally afraid of the sun, and yet now she seems to have no trouble fighting in front of millions on a bright sunny day. And her partner is a former villain with, of all things, the spirit of her deceased mother living inside of her hair and helping her fight. If said person was not a part of her body, this would be against the rules, but like the no weapons rule, as long as she's attached to her, it's perfectly legal. As such, it is my pleasure to introduce the Queens of Darkness!"

With that, both Gothitelle and Mawile headed toward the ring, giving light waves to the crowd. Neither felt it necessary to have an overblown spectacle for their entrance, especially Gothitelle who had never really cared about that.

Machoke grinned wide and waved, exclaiming, "HEY, GOTHITELLE, KICK SOME ASS TODAY!" the goth giving the boy a light smile and increasing the speed of her wave by a tiny bit, Mawile clinging onto the side of her dress as Gothitelle stroked her head, saying, "I know what you're going through. I used to feel the same way when entering the ring. But don't let it get to you otherwise you'll have trouble focusing on the match."

Mawile nodded and smiled, saying, "Besides, Miss Octillery's in the audience, right?" and this was proven true when the octopus let down tears, sniffing, "Oh, it's so beautiful! Our little Mawile is growing up!"

Once the two girls had entered the ring, Gothitelle agreed to go first, Mawile happy with this. Metang was just about to step up himself when he noticed that Starmie was more than eager to show off her new skills. He simply could not refuse such a thing.

With both teams having decided, Nori saw no need to delay this any longer as she rang the bell, Starmie immediately leaping backwards and propelling herself off of the ropes. She then proceeded to tilt her body sideways, spinning like a frisbee as a dark aura surrounded Gothitelle's hands.

But before she could counter, Starmie swerved to the right and struck her cheek hard. Luckily, though, the goth seemed to have seen this coming to a certain degree as she immediately threw her arm up in that direction, sending her palm hard into the starfish's face.

The crowd cheered wildly for the goth as she then took hold of Starmie's arm, flinging the starfish toward the turnbuckle. However, it seemed Starmie had more planned as she flipped her body vertically, latching her lower star tips onto the pole and before standing on top of it.

The crowd cheered as Nori said, "Gothitelle made an impressive comeback, but Starmie's not going down that easily," the starfish then leaping toward the goth and spinning into her face.

Mawile winced at the sight of this as Starmie proceeded to take hold of the goth's arms, spinning her body around once more, only this time picking up Gothitelle with her. Not only was this different, but the crowd was impressed that someone of such small stature could even pull this off, especially since it took a lot just for her middle star tips, or rather her arms, to grab onto someone.

And after a few seconds, Starmie released her hold and sent Gothitelle flying into the turnbuckle, the crowd cheering wildly as Nori exclaimed, "After Metang defeated Starmie in the Olympics, he told her to come up with a wider variety of moves if she ever wanted to be more of a threat! It seems that the lovely starfish took his advice as she has already dished out two moves that have never been seen from her before!"

'Yes, she certainly has,' Metang thought with his arms folded, 'While those moves were nothing too special, they certainly surprised me. Due to Starmie's build, I didn't think she could even pull off a grappling move, and yet she still managed to do just that.'

"Are you okay, Gothitelle?" Mawile uttered as the goth took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Your mom put me through Hell when we fought and I still managed to knock her out. You think this is going to stop me?"

"I didn't expect it to stop you either," Starmie said as she proceeded to latch herself to the goth's shoulders from behind, "It would have been disappointing to let that finish you off."

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, Starmie proceeded to lift Gothitelle just high enough above her head as she planted her feet firmly against the mat and propelled herself off of it like a rocket. She then planted her top star tip into Gothitelle's back, sending her high above the ring.

The crowd cheered even louder for the starfish as she used her speed to spin around Gothitelle, position herself above her before ramming the same tip into her gut. The goth had almost coughed up blood this time as she was sent careening into the mat, Starmie exclaiming, "SHOOTING STAR!"

Now Metang was truly impressed as Mawile screamed, "GOTHITELLE!" wanting so badly to just run in there and help her out.

But until five minutes were up, she could not do that. And right now, one had to wonder if Gothitelle could even remain conscious long enough for that time to be reached.

Even Octillery was beyond concerned as she asked, "Are you alright?" Gothitelle coughing a bit before slowly rising to her feet. And as always, she showed no signs of weakness as she took a single deep breath, saying, "Don't worry, it'll take more than that to take me out for good."

Metang did not seem the least bit worried as Starmie held her arms against her hips. Now she was unsure of how to feel about this. On one hand, it would have been amazing if that move had been enough to end the match right here, but on the other hand, it would have been a tad disappointing for her first opponent in the tournament to go down so easily.

With that, she once again flew toward Gothitelle, only this time she was ready. Once the starfish was close enough, the goth dodged to the right and sent her palm into her front side again. She then proceeded to send her other palm into the same spot, flipping Starmie upright before before two blue energy blobs formed on her hands.

Mawile's eyes sparkled as she thought, 'That's the move that defeated Mommy! It's perfect!' her hair grinning, remembering just how much this move had hurt.

"PSYSHOCK!" Gothitelle exclaimed, slamming both palms hard into Starmie and sending her flying into the turnbuckle, the starfish sliding down the side of it and feeling weak, her gem starting to blink slowly.

Seeing this, Metang nodded and said, "You've done a really good job so far, Starmie, but I think I should probably take it from here," the starfish nodding and replying, "Yeah, but were you impressed by my Shooting Star finisher?" the cyborg nodding and replying, "Absolutely. That really caught me off-guard."

With that, the two tagged each-other as Mawile asked, "Hey, Gothitelle, are you okay to keep going?" the goth nodding and replying, "Right now, yes."

Octillery, all the while, applauded her friend and exclaimed, "Excellent comeback!" Machoke breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Not gonna lie, I was a little scared back there. Admittedly, this is my first time seeing her in an official match."

Gallade nodded and replied, "Well, one thing's for certain. Starmie's a lot more of a threat than I remember her being," Lucario much more interested in what Metang had to offer. After all, the cyborg mainly wanted to face him and the dog wanted to know just how much better he had gotten.

Metang gave Lucario a quick glance before readying himself, Gothitelle holding up her arms and thinking, 'Alright, I remember watching this match on TV. Not only is Metang relatively slow, but he has a limit to how many times he can use his strongest moves. If I can keep my distance and make him use up his energy, victory should be possible.'

However, it seemed her strategy may need some tweaking as Metang threw his fist forward, everyone shocked when his forearm flew toward the goth, a slightly thinner silver arm coming out of his normal blue one. And before Gothitelle could even respond, she took the hard punch to her face and flew toward the ropes, stopping herself from bouncing off.

It was truly astounding. All the pain Starmie had inflicted did not even faze the goth and yet this single punch actually scared her. And while she stared at Metang, the cyborg turned to Lucario and gave him an intimidating look, as if to say that would be him eventually.

Seeing this, Mawile could no longer sit back as she quickly ran over to Gothitelle, slapping her hand. The goth gasped and turned toward the girl, a light smile on her face. Deep down, she had been planning to switch with Mawile anyway, but now she could be at ease knowing the girl had enough courage to go through with it.

Mawile glared at Metang and said, "Alright, you've had your fun, but it's my turn now," the cyborg nodding and saying, "Yes, I heard about how you used to serve those punks dedicated to reviving Giratina, and from what I can gather, you guys were no slouches. Even so, don't think for a minute that I'm going to let you beat me."

"Yeah, you tell her!" Starmie exclaimed as Metang once again sent his fist forward.

However, Mawile was ready for this as she dodged to the right, her mother's mouth coming open before biting into the material. Metang's eyes widened as Mawile managed to lift him up with a surprising amount of ease, shouting, "ALLIGATOR JAW SWING!" shifting the arm sideways as the cyborg was sent head-first into the turnbuckle.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "What an amazing display! Despite being incredibly short, Mawile dishes out a shocking amount of strength, sending the towering Metang into the turnbuckle! We certainly can't take this little titan lightly, can we?"

And it seemed Metang was thinking this as he pried his forearm out of the ponytail's jaws, returning it to its rightful spot and rising to his feet. Needless to say, he would have to be careful now.

"Wow, Mawile's awesome," Reika uttered as Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "Alright! Looks like they might just win this after all!" Aipom sighing, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Don't forget, Metang was pretty strong before and now he's been upgraded."

And it would soon be made clear just how much more of a threat he was as he held his arms out, his head spinning like a windmill. This attack was already threatening enough before, but now that he was able to stretch his arms out, it was even worse as he did just that, Mawile ducking under the spinning forearms. Metang was more than ready as he tilted his head downward thus lowering his arms, the girl taking in a hard punch to the cheek as she flew backwards into the ropes.

After that, she bounced off and flew toward the spinning fists again, taking in another hit and falling on her back. The crowd cheered for Metang as he stopped his spinning, returning his arms and thinking, 'That's right, I still need to conserve energy. If I abuse abilities like this, I'll run out of steam and start to slow down.'

"Are you okay?" Gothitelle asked with concern as Mawile shook the pain off of her head, smirking and replying, "Come on, compared to what you put me through, that was nothing," her hair letting out growling noises as she sighed, "I'm just trying to ease the tension."

Deep down, those two hits were worse than anything Gothitelle had dished out on her, but she refused to let that get her down. She had been nervous before, but right now, she had to toss that aside and act more like she did when she faced her friend in the Reverse World.

With that in mind, she was back on the defensive as Metang charged toward her. But when he got close, she proceeded to whip her ponytail forward, the mouth opening wide and biting onto the cyborg's leg.

Metang's eyes widened once more, but he refused to let this get to him as he used his free foot to kick the side of Mawile's head. The girl ignored the pain as she pulled back, causing Metang to trip and fall on his back.

While she had been strong enough to throw him sideways, Mawile knew she could not lift someone as heavy as Metang and set him up for a suplex. Not even her mother was that strong and as such, she used this chance to flip him onto his belly, climbing onto his back and pulling his leg up, exclaiming, "ALLIGATOR CRAB!"

The crowd was even more impressed as Metang cried out in pain, trying his hardest to break free from this insane version of the Boston Crab. He simply could not believe how strong someone this small could be, even if the spirit of her mother was the one performing all of these moves.

"And Mawile just continues to shock and amaze this announcer!" Nori exclaimed, "Despite lacking muscle, she has already pulled off two incredible feats that would have taken even Lucario a great deal of effort to pull off!"

And the dog was certainly impressed. After all, when he performed a slam move on Metang before losing control of his emotions, it had put a bit of a strain on him just to connect it. And yet this girl who was half his size had managed to get the upper hand against the cyborg rather quickly.

However, Metang immediately saw a way out of this as he said, "Unfortunately for you, there is a way for me to get out of this," Mawile's eyes widening as the cyborg proceeded to shoot his arm forward, sending it up in an arch formation and directing it toward the girl's face.

And sure enough, she took in the hit hard, coughing up blood as she flew off of the cyborg's back. Metang rose to his feet as his fans cheered, Starmie breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "I knew there was no way you'd succumb to that."

And it seemed things might only get more intense from here as Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes had passed. With that, Starmie entered the ring as she and Metang pounded their fist and star tip together.

When Gothitelle entered, she immediately helped Mawile rise to her feet, asking, "Are you okay?" the girl nodding and grinning, saying, "Now that we can combine our efforts, I feel a lot better. These two may be tough, but we can still take them, right?" the goth nodding.

But could they really pull this off? After all, not only did Starmie's incredible speed make her quite a force to be reckoned with, but Metang had incredible strength. Both of these were features the girls did not have a lot of. But even so, if they were to go down, it would not be without a fight.


	12. Chapter 12

With the tornado tag portion having started up, the match between the Iron Stars and the Queens of Darkness was sure to heat up now. It had already been rather intense, with Starmie giving a strong opening only for Mawile to tip the tides in her team's favour, but now it was time to see how they would perform now that they could combine their skills.

However, Metang was not ready to let either make the opening move and thus he said, "Alright, Starmie, you know what to do," the starfish nodding and allowing the cyborg to pick her up by her top star tip.

Everyone was confused until Starmie started to spin like a buzz saw. At that moment, she was moving so fast that a star formed around her, Metang stretching out his arms and spinning, the two exclaiming, "SWIFT BUZZ PINWHEEL!"

And sure enough, neither Gothitelle nor Mawile had any idea how to avoid this as they each took in a fierce blow to the cheek. This caused both to cough up a bit of blood as Metang retracted his arms, flinging Starmie toward them as she exclaimed, "SWIFT!" running hard into Mawile.

After seeing the girl's strength earlier, both deduced that she had to have been the strongest member of the team and thus felt like they needed to deal with her first. However, while Mawile took in great pain from the hit, her mother refused to allow this to go further as she whipped herself out just fast enough to bite into Starmie's side, the star vanishing as her spinning came to a halt.

Metang's eyes widened as the hair growled, the starfish groaning, "Oh, right, her hair has a mind of its own," said ponytail flinging her hard into Metang's leg.

As his legs were the weakest parts of his, the cyborg felt great pain from this as he knelt down, Starmie feeling a tad dizzy as her gem started to blink a tiny bit faster. However, while the hit itself was enough to excite the audience, many were just as surprised by Starmie was when Mawile's ponytail did that all on her own.

"I knew the spirit of her mom was in there," Nori stated, "but I didn't think she could actually fight without Mawile, well, being conscious."

"Me neither," Metang grumbled as he folded his arms, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Starmie snapping back to reality as she nodded and replied, "Yeah, it's obvious Mawile herself isn't strong enough to take either of us. If we take out the ponytail first, she'll be a sitting duck."

However, Gothitelle had overheard this as she turned to Mawile with concern. If seemed she had not yet recovered from the strike dealt earlier and as such, she said, "Sorry, Mrs. Futakuchi, but you'll have to sit this out for a while. I'd use you for protection, but then Mawile would be in more danger."

The ponytail nodded and let out a low growl, the goth giving her a light smile as she thought, 'I don't think I can stand up to these two by myself, but I can try,' the goth charging toward them with her hands covered in dark orbs.

However, Metang and Starmie could not have been happier with this predicament as the cyborg lifted up his starfish partner, once again sending her forward. Only this time, he had the arm shoot toward Gothitelle as the two exclaimed, "METEOR STAR!" Metang's hand glowing like when he used his Meteor Mash during the Olympics.

However, Gothitelle saw this coming and was just about to duck under the incoming attack. That was until she remembered that they were now targeting Mawile's mother, who currently could not approach them due to her daughter's current state, and there was no doubt that she was the Iron Stars' true target.

As such, she held up her hands and took in the strike. Luckily, her power of darkness did soften the blow, but not by a whole lot as her hands were still forced into her face. Machoke and Octillery were both worried now as they started to cheer her on, really hoping she could pull off a miracle.

Unfortunately, Metang and Starmie were not done yet as when the cyborg's arm returned, he proceeded to spin his body around, flinging the starfish toward the goth. But when Gothitelle lifted up her arms to block the incoming strike, she was shocked when the starfish flew right past her, headed straight for the ponytail.

And of course, Gothitelle would not be able to help as when she turned around, Metang proceeded to extend his arms again, latching onto the goth's ankles. He then lifted her up and slammed her belly hard against the mat, the goth coughing up more blood as the crowd was restless now.

"For two former opponents, Metang and Starmie have made for an incredible combination!" Nori exclaimed as Starmie managed to strike the side of Mawile's mother, spinning away to avoid being bitten before returning from another angle, hitting the side of the ponytail.

Lucario clenched his paws as he said, "That one upgrade has made him so much more intimidating. I would love to face him again if he manages to get that far," Clauncher nodding and replying, "Yeah, and with Starmie, he's even more of a threat."

However, while Mawile's mother proceeded to take in more hits, the girl slowly recovered and gasped at the sight of this. Thus before Starmie could even figure out what was going on, Mawile leaned to the side so the starfish wound up running into her cheek instead, the audience surprised by what happened next as Mawile opened her own mouth, turning her head toward Starmie and biting into her arm.

Metang's eyes widened at the sight of this as the ponytail noticed this, immediately adding to the pain by clamping down on Starmie's other arm, the two leaning backwards as Mawile exclaimed through clenched teeth, "DOUBLE ALLIGATOR JAW SUPLEX!" slamming the starfish's body into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it looked like Mawile was done for, she counters with an incredible combination attack, only not with her partner but with her mother!" before letting down a light tear and sniffing, "Reminds me of the time my mom and I came third in the mother-daughter track and field event back in forth grade."

At that moment, Metang proceeded to rush forward only for Gothitelle to recover when he got close to her and grab his ankles. The cyborg's eyes widened as she used her power of darkness to lift his legs up, causing him to fall on his back while the crowd went wild. Despite all the damage dealt earlier, the Queens of Darkness still had a good amount of fight left in them.

And with Starmie unconscious for the time being, Mawile leapt over to Metang and exclaimed, "Come on, partner, let's do this together!"

With that, Gothitelle nodded as Mawile's hair took hold of Metang's head, Gothitelle lifting him up by the ankles. Thanks to her power of darkness, she was able to do at least this much, though it did put a small strain on her. However, it was worth it in the end as the cyborg's eyes were wide with terror, both girls exclaiming, "DARK ALLIGATOR SUPLEX!" slamming the cyborg hard on his face.

It seemed Mawile's attacks earlier had done more than one could have expected as this actually proved just enough to knock the cyborg out, each of his eyes replaced by a small red X. However, both expected Starmie to recover and turned only to notice her gem had actually stopped glowing after Mawile's suplex earlier.

Nori remembered full well what this meant as she knew a ten count was unneeded. As such, the woman rang the bell and exclaimed, "And this victory goes to the Queens of Darkness!" the crowd going wild for the two girls as Gothitelle gave a light wave to the crowd, a tiny smile on her face.

Mawile, on the other hand, had the biggest smile of her life as she waved her arms with enthusiasm, her mother grinning wide and letting out growls of gratitude. As a former villain, Mawile never imagined she would ever get this much praise from the masses, and needless to say, it felt wonderful.

"That was close," Machoke said with a sigh as Reika nodded and uttered, "Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure if those two were even ready to take on opponents like that."

Octillery folded her arms and said, "Good job, my friend," Kecleon letting out a sigh and remarking, "You did notice Mawile did most of the work during that match, right?" only for the octopus to ignore his words.

Gothitelle had certainly noticed, but she refused to bring it up. After all, she had mostly entered this tournament to give Mawile the courage to fight in front of millions, so to see her plan work was good enough for her.

However, she then remembered who her next opponents were and needless to say, she and Mawile would need to prepare extra hard. Much like with Masquerain, something about those two just rubbed the goth the wrong way.

Either way, it was time for the ten-minute break as Metang and Starmie were carried out of the ring on stretchers. After all, whenever Starmie's gem faded, it always guaranteed that she would be unconscious for two hours. Meanwhile, whenever Metang's eyes became X's, it meant he would not get up any time soon.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Mawile squealed with a big grin, "I can't wait for round two!" Gothitelle giving her friend a light smile and replying, "Yeah, you did a great job."

With that, Octillery rose from her seat and gave her friends a wave before heading off to prepare with Kecleon. The chameleon let out a sigh and grinned, feeling excited. After all, this could very well be his first time winning in front of hundreds. Sure, he may have defeated Gallade in the Reverse World, but no one had been there to witness the event.

Though most of all, he wanted his parents to see him win a match. He had been nothing but a disappointment to them growing up and this was his chance to prove that he was worthy of the family name.

Machoke waved at Octillery as she gave him a quick wave back. Needless to say, the boy wanted to see her win as well, Gallade saying, "I hope they win. After what Kecleon's been through, he deserves a moment in the spotlight."

"True, but don't forget, they're going up against Throh and Sawk," Aipom remarked, "They were number one in hero school, right?" Gallade sighing, "I'm starting to question that at this point."

Bisharp, who was seated next to Scrafty on a far end of the bleachers, folded his arms and sighed, "I hope those two put up a better fight than they did against me," Scrafty nodding and replying, "Oh yeah, I heard you and Onix made really quick work of them."

As it just so happened, the twin brothers had left a little before Octillery and Kecleon to start preparing for their match right away. After all, ten minutes was hardly enough time to get in some good training.

All the while, Beedrill and Butterfree sat in the back row as the wasp sighed, "It's weird not joining Nori for this," his partner shrugging and replying, "Hey, that's what you get for being a contestant. If you were up there with her, you wouldn't be able to compete and receive praise and applause from millions," Beedrill blinking and replying, "You're right, I totally made the right decision."

And soon enough, the ten minutes were up as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, everyone, we're now entering the second half of round one! I hope you're all excited as I'm sure this will be another stellar match!"

Then pointing at the Eastern entrance, she added, "In the red corner are two twin brothers who in the first month of Hero School were at the top of the class! With amazing fighting skill that's only increased when they're together, I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to the Martial Arts Twins!"

The crowd went wild as Throh and Sawk headed toward the ring, waving to the crowd. They had no big spectacles or anything planned, just a simple entrance. And this seemed to be enough to please everyone.

"I have to admit, as lame as Vespiquen's entrance was, at least she was trying," Machoke muttered as Aipom sighed, "They're clearly trying to go for a more simple approach. Maybe you should try that sometime."

Meanwhile, Hoopa laughed at this before asking, "The Martial Arts Brothers!? That was the best they could come up with!?" Diancie sighing, "Well, it is a little uninspired compared to the others."

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "One is a powerful octopus who can really pack a punch! The other is a mysterious warrior with the ability to blend in with his surroundings. Put them together and you get the Vanishing Muscles!"

With that, both entered atop a big float, waving to the crowd as Machoke beamed, saying, "I like this entrance," Octillery blowing kisses while Kecleon used his tongue like a pole to balance himself high into the air, all the while thinking, 'Do you see me? Look where I am now. I'll make you all proud.'

And soon enough, the teams were ready as Throh and Sawk played rock, paper, scissors to decide who would go first. Ultimately, Sawk won as he grinned, his brother nodding and wishing him the best. However, Kecleon and Octillery did not even need to think about this as the octopus rested a tentacle on the chameleon's shoulder, nodding her head.

"Really?" Kecleon asked as Octillery smiled and replied, "Of course. This is your chance. I'm sure your folks are watching," the chameleon nodding and thinking, 'I hope so. I did call them and tell them to tune in.'

With that, Octillery moved behind the ropes and twisted one of her tentacles to make it look like she was holding up a thumb, Kecleon grinning before turning to face his opponent. He was certain he could win this, even if his physical strength was lacking.

With that, Nori rang the bell as Sawk immediately sprinted toward the chameleon. But just as he was about to send a karate chop forward, Kecleon focused hard as his body vanished, Sawk's eyes widening as his chop missed. And before he could even respond, he felt a fist strike him in the chin as he backed up, rubbing that very spot.

"You okay, bro?" Throh asked as Sawk nodded and replied, "Yeah, the hit was pretty weak," when suddenly, he felt something slimy wrap itself around his neck. It was not long until the audience could see what was going on when the blue fighter's neck seemed to shrink in width.

The crowd was truly amazed as Nori exclaimed, "And using his camouflage technique, Kecleon has gotten the drop on Sawk, catching him in a very painful submission hold!"

And it did not end there as the chameleon reverted to his regular form, leaning backward and lifting Sawk high into the air, exclaiming, "CHAMELEON SUPLEX!" slamming the boy's skull into the mat while the crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, back in Kecleon's home country of Mongolia, a family of chameleons were seated in front of a screen as a tall blue one folded his arms, saying, "Well, what do you know? He actually mastered camouflage," a slender pink one nodding and adding, "He also learned your famous Chameleon Suplex."

A couple of other chameleons, one yellow with droopy eyes and another red with a bow were cheering, the red one exclaiming, "I knew he'd get it someday!" before sighing, "Now I wish I hadn't been so mean to him."

Kecleon had a big smile on his face as he held his arms in the air, basking in the glory of all these cheers. Though he was shocked to see Gallade applauding him, a light tear rolling down his cheek as he thought, 'Thanks for having no hard feelings, man.'

However, it seemed Sawk was not going to stand for this as he propelled himself up off the mat, landing a two-legged kick into Kecleon's back while he was still distracted. Some members of the crowd cheered for the martial artist as he smirked and said, "Never turn your back to your opponent."

"Truer words have never been spoken," Nori stated, "Kecleon's moment in the spotlight comes to a halt as Sawk gives him a piece of his mind."

However, this would not last as the chameleon vanished, Sawk gasping as he felt his tongue make contact with his face. He then proceeded to send more hits his way, exclaiming, "MACHINE TONGUE BARRAGE!"

After taking in quite a few hits, Sawk backed up toward the ropes and said, "Your turn, bro," tagging in Throh as Nori exclaimed, "Throh has been tagged in, thus Kecleon must stop his assault otherwise he'll be disqualified!" Kecleon retracting his tongue and saying, "Thanks, but I already knew that."

With that, Throh entered the ring as Kecleon could not help but feel more confident than ever before. However, he still turned to Octillery, wondering if she would like a shot only for the octopus to signal him to keep going.

With that in mind, the chameleon proceeded to vanish and whip his tongue out at Throh. But when the red fighter took in the hit, he was ready for this as he clapped his hands together, taking hold of the tongue. The crowd watched in amazement as Kecleon reverted to normal, Throh swinging his arms around and sending the chameleon into the turnbuckle next to Octillery.

With that, Kecleon rubbed his head and said, "This guy's clearly better at countering my moves," the octopus nodding and saying, "Alright, I guess now's as good a time as any," the two switching places as Machoke exclaimed, "Yeah, you go, Octillery!"

Throh wasted no time charging toward the octopus who allowed him to grab hold of her. Afterwards, she proceeded to wrap her tentacles around his back, the boy's eyes widening as she used her four free tentacles to slap him hard in the face, causing him to release his hold, the octopus then wrapping said tentacles around him to bind him in place.

She then leapt into the air, leaning backward and sending Throh's skull hard into the mat. After that, she pointed her mouth up into the air as ink shot from it like a sprinkler, covering her entire body in the black substance. She then propelled herself toward Throh just as he rose to his feet, the boy's mouth and eyes widening as the octopus rammed into his back, shouting, "OCTAZOOKA!"

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "Octillery is showing a great deal of power as she not only got out of one of Throh's legendary holds with ease but also dealt a great deal of pain with her infamous Octazooka!"

With that, Throh gritted his teeth and sprinted toward Sawk only for Octillery to get in his way, sending her tentacles at him. However, the boy was ready this time as he took hold of two tentacles, leaning backward and sending a kick into her gut, forcing her away from him as she fell on her back.

And with that, Throh tagged in Sawk as the blue fighter took his place, saying, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll turn her into sashimi."

"Oh my, that sounds most unpleasant!" the octopus gasped as Reika uttered, "Ever feel like she's too positive about everything?" Machoke shrugging and replying, "Eh, it's part of her charm."

Clauncher applauded Octillery and said, "I have to admit, she's pretty cool," Lucario nodding and replying, "Yeah, you should try being her friend. I think you two would get along great."

Sawk rushed toward Octillery as the octopus waited for him to get close, sending her tentacles toward him. The blue fighter saw this coming and leapt just high enough to avoid the incoming strike as he spat, "BRICK BREAK!" cupping his hands together and sending them both into the octopus' forehead.

The crowd cheered for him as Nori rang the bell, exclaiming, "That five minutes, folks!" everyone even more excited as Sawk backed away from the octopus, he and his brother sharing a high five.

Octillery, meanwhile, rubbed her head as Kecleon stood by her side and asked, "You okay?" the octopus nodding and replying, "Of course. It'll take more than one good hit to take me down."

With that, Throh and Sawk huddled together as Sawk said, "I have quite a bit of trouble with that chameleon, but Octillery seems easier to hit," Throh nodding and replying, "Yes, and while Octillery seems to counter holds easily, Kecleon seems to struggle with that."

With that, both nodded and rushed toward their opponents, Sawk headed toward Octillery while Throh aimed for Kecleon. However, neither Vanishing Muscle would allow this to work as Kecleon sent his tongue toward the red fighter, Octillery getting ready to bind the blue fighter.

But it was just as the Martial Arts Twins said. Throh easily grabbed the chameleon's tongue, reeling him in before wrapping his arms around him, Sawk once again avoiding Octillery's grip and sending a karate chop to her side.

Throh proceeded to leap into the air and spin vertically with Kecleon still in his grasp while shouting, "ROLLING DROP!" planting the chameleon's head into the canvas.

And it did not end there as Throh continued to hold onto Kecleon with one arm around his neck, the crowd going wild for the brothers as he raced toward the distracted Octillery, grabbing onto one of her tentacles and swinging both around. Sawk leapt far away from the two as Throh soon hurled each one toward a different side of his brother, said blue fighter holding out his arms and racing toward his opponents as the two brothers spat, "FLYING ANCHOR!"

"Oh, I get it, they put two hooks together to create an anchor," Machoke uttered as Aipom sighed, "It's unexpected, I'll give them that."

But just as Kecleon and Octillery were seconds away from making contact, both smirked at one-another before Kecleon spun around with his tongue whipped out, binding Sawk's right arm with it. And before he knew it, Octillery had also wrapped four of her tentacles around his left arm as the Vanishing Muscles grinned and leaned back, slamming Sawk's back hard against the canvas.

The crowd cheered for the duo as Kecleon grinned at Octillery, the octopus nodding as he leapt away from her, whipping out his tongue and binding it to her tentacle. Seeing this, Throh charged at them and snapped, "I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET THE DROP ON US AGAIN!"

However, it seemed he had walked right into their trap as Octillery stood on the tips of her two foot tentacles, she and Kecleon exclaiming, "OCTOPUS WRECKING BALL!" the octopus spinning like a top while Kecleon was swung hard into the side of Throh's head. But it did not end there as he placed a firm grip against the red boy's head, Sawk recovering just in time for his brother to ram right into him, both flying into the turnbuckle.

And that was that. Both brothers were out cold, their eyes spinning as Nori started the ten count. The crowd cheered wildly for the Vanishing Muscles as both waved their arms, the announcer soon reaching the ten count as she rang the bell.

"And with that, the Vanishing Muscles have won the match!" the woman stated as Machoke clapped, shouting, "I knew they could do it!" Gallade, Aipom and their human friends all sighing, "Somehow, I knew that would happen."

Kecleon and Octillery gave each-other a high five as the chameleon grinned, thinking, 'Did you see that?' his family all the while cheering, the blue one exclaiming, "That's my boy!" the pink one kissing his cheek and saying, "I'm so proud of him."

And with that, the Octillery walked over to the two brothers to help them up. Luckily, she and Kecleon had not used enough force to hospitalize them, the octopus following Machoke's example of using just enough force to end the match but not much more than that.

And of course, the twins knew better than to act spiteful as they both grinned, holding out their hands as Sawk said, "Here's to a good fight," Octillery nodding and shaking each one's hand.

However, she then took it a step further as she reeled them in for a tight embrace, exclaiming, "YOU TWO WERE SUCH GOOD OPPONENTS!" Kecleon sighing in embarrassment and groaning, "Just so you know, there is such a thing as too friendly."

Throh and Sawk seemed to agree but were unable to struggle, Sawk groaning, "Why is it that only the weirdest girls ever show affection toward me?" Throh sighing, "I used to envy you, but now, not so much."

And with that, the two teams exited the ring as Nori sighed, "It's always nice when a match ends with friendship," before adding, "Anyway, enjoy your ten-minute break because we got another exciting match lined up."

And with that, Gallade and Hitmonchan both rose to their feet, nodding at one-another with big smiles before heading off to train. Lopunny and Heracross rose up to do the same as Machoke blinked and asked, "Hey, Aipom, who should I root for?" the monkey squeaking, "Don't ask me!"

Whatever the case, Gallade felt like he had to at least win this one. He owed that much to Gardevoir, but he also knew his friends from Scotland and Egypt would not go easy on him.


	13. Chapter 13

While Gallade and Hitmonchan got ready for their match with Heracross and Lopunny, Beedrill suddenly realized he needed to use the bathroom. As such, he got up and assured Butterfree that he would be back soon, flying toward the entrance to the hallway.

The butterfly shrugged and placed a bucket of popcorn on his chair in order to save his seat. However, after she did so, a teenaged girl seated next to her turned to her friend and started whispering while pointing at her, Butterfree's cheeks turning red as she scowled at the girl.

Meanwhile, Machoke took a deep breath and said, "It's good to see our other friends at least doing a good job. I really hope Gardevoir and Blaziken are alright," Aipom nodding before looking around and saying, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Smeargle or Vespiquen since that match ended."

Hoopa had noticed this too but tried not to think about it. After all, he figured it would be awkward for Smeargle to sit amongst the crowd after showing significantly more malice during his match than even Serperior.

All the while, Gallade and Hitmonchan practised on some punching bags while Lopunny and Heracross were working hard as well. While the beetle lifted weights with his horn, the rabbit was focused on something else, specifically their entrance. After all, she wanted to pull off something similar to what Machoke usually did before one of his matches.

During this time, Beedrill exited a toilet stall with a sigh of relief when suddenly, he noticed a being that looked exactly like him standing right before him. The wasp blinked and uttered, "What the hell?" only for the other wasp to narrow his eyelids and pierce the chairman's shoulders.

Beedrill cried out in pain before exclaiming, "Who are you and why do you look like me!?" the other wasp retorting, "You ask too many questions," flying backward toward a mirror and shouting, "TWIN NEEDLE SUPLEX!" slamming Beedrill's head hard into it, the glass shattering as the wasp passed out.

During this time, a teenaged boy entered the fight area and looked around, spotting Butterfree among the crowd. He then waved at the butterfly as she looked down, not sure who this was but flew down anyway.

As she landed before him, the boy said in a rather effeminate tone, "Oh, you must be Butterfree! I'm such a big fan of yours!" the butterfly blushing lightly and replying, "Well, always nice to have an admirer."

The boy nodded and replied, "Anyway, I was wondering if I could take a photo with you, but I'd rather do it somewhere quiet where there aren't a bunch of people present."

Machoke noticed this and rose an eyebrow, saying, "Look who just became a superstar," Reika nodding and replying, "Yep, that's hero life for you," the boy sighing, "And yet no one ever wants to take a photo with me."

The butterfly did find this a tad strange but refused to question this. She may have had respect for Beedrill now, but she still jumped at the idea of one-upping him at something and as such, this made her especially happy.

The boy led Butterfree to a closet entrance, saying, "This looks like a good spot," the butterfly smiling and saying, "Well, I'm ready."

The boy grinned and seemed to subconsciously rest his hand against the doorknob, turning it as it slowly opened up. Butterfree's eyes widened when she saw Beedrill chained up and gagged, green blood coming from atop his head.

The butterfly clasped her hands over her mouth, gasping, "What happened!?" only for the boy to smirk, his body starting to change form.

Soon enough, 'he' had taken the form of Butterfree and flew at her from behind, spinning and shouting, "WHIRLWIND!" striking her hard in the back and sending her flying into the wall.

And it was not long until both insects were chained up, the Butterfree clone closing the door and locking it tight with a key she had stolen by posing as a staff member. However, to make sure this plan would work in its entirety, she proceeded to swallow the key, a big smile on her face as the Beedrill clone entered the area to join her.

But who were these two and how were they able to change form? Whatever the case, this was not good.

And sure enough, everyone was ready for the sixth match now as the fake Beedrill and Butterfree took their seats. Naturally, no one was able to spot the difference, not even Hoopa and Diancie. But how? Surely, they must have had some involvement in this.

Either way, this was not the main focus as the match was about to begin, Nori stating, "Alright, everyone, it's been an exciting first round so far, and hopefully, this match will be just as exciting as the one before it."

"I hope not," Hoopa groaned, "That last one was anti-climactic as hell," Diancie nodding and replying, "Yeah, it did feel a tad one-sided, didn't it?"

Nori proceeded to point to the Eastern entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, one is a fierce rabbit from Egypt with an incredible spirit and ears with unimaginable strength! Her partner is a tough beetle whose horn is actually stronger than the rest of him! Presenting the Bouncing Biceps!"

The crowd went wild as Lopunny and Heracross approached the ring, but this was no ordinary entrance. Heracross was dressed in a kilt and performing a Scottish dance while Lopunny wore a white Egyptian dress while performing a snake dance, the background music switching back and forth between Scottish and Egyptian.

With that, Lopunny proceeded to flip forward, performing a handstand with her ears before propelling herself high into the air and landing into the ring, the crowd going wild as Heracross spread his wings and buzzed high above it for a few seconds, soon landing hard against the canvas with a big smirk on his face, his right knee bent and his fist planted against the surface.

The crowd cheered even louder as Nori exclaimed, "And the two give us quite the show!" Machoke cheering wildly and whistling at Lopunny, shouting, "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

The rabbit beamed bright and thought, 'Oh, Gardevoir, you're so lucky!' her cheeks flushed pink as Heracross rolled his eyes and snickered, patting his partner on the shoulder.

And as the two removed their clothes, tossing them out of the ring, Nori pointed at the Western entrance and stated, "In the red corner, one is a spirited young fighter. Though his track record is a bit of a mixed bag, he has pulled out quite a few surprises over the past. The other is a powerful boxer from a family of martial artists, each with their own unique fighting styles. Once working for the side of darkness, her partner won her heart and now she fights for the side of good."

"That's not exactly why we turned over a new leaf," Hitmonlee grumbled from the crowd as Hitmontop chuckled, "It does sound a lot more dramatic, though," Tyrogue sighing, "Hey, at least one of us made it to the tournament. Just be happy about that."

"With incredible strength and spirit," Nori exclaimed, "I would like you all to give a warm welcome to the Boxing Brawlers!" the crowd cheering heavily as Gallade and Hitmonchan raced toward the ring, each one waving to the crowd.

Hitmonchan leapt up onto Gallade's palms as the boy propelled her high into the air, the girl performing multiple flips before landing firmly against the ring. Gallade then impressed the crowd as he somersaulted toward the ring, lifting himself off the floor and landing firmly against the ring, bending down on one knee with his arms spread out. Needless to say, the audience was just as thrilled about this entrance despite it not being quite as complex.

Heracross clapped and exclaimed, "Good show, Gallade! I actually think that was cooler than my entrance!" Lopunny nodding and adding, "True. Ours didn't have a somersault," Gallade blushing lightly and uttering, "Really? Because your entrance clearly had more effort put into it."

Hitmonchan smiled cutely at the boy and pinched his cheek, saying, "You're so cute when you're embarrassed," the crowd staring silently as Tsuya sighed, "I'm happy for those two, but could they maybe save that for after the match?"

Reika shrugged and replied, "Well, technically the match hasn't even started yet," Machoke saying, "Hey, nothing wrong with friends just acting like friends."

With that, the two teams shook hands as Gallade said, "Here's to a good match. Don't feel horrible if I beat you," Heracross jokingly remarking, "Keep dreaming, pal," the two laughing as each team walked to a separate end of the ring.

"While they certainly mean business, they still clearly value their friendship," Nori stated with a light smile as Gallade volunteered to go first, Heracross giving Lopunny a chance to start things off.

With that, the two stared each-other down as Nori rang the bell, Lopunny immediately starting things off by sending her ears toward the green fighter. However, Gallade was ready for this as he held up his arms, blocking the incoming punches with his blade formations pointed outward.

As a result, Lopunny's ears took in light cuts but due to the strength of the tufts, it was not quite enough to draw blood. Even so, she realized this could be detrimental as Gallade charged at her with his arms at the ready, exclaiming, "Nothing personal, but I intend to win this!"

But just as he was about to strike, the rabbit easily dodged to the side, holding herself up with one ear while planting both of her feet into Gallade's side. The boy ignored the pain and sent the back of his hand into her face, sending her back a bit as the crowd cheered, Nori saying, "So far, this match is looking pretty even."

Lopunny intended to change that as she sent one of her ears toward Gallade again, the boy blocking the incoming strike before shifting his arm and latching onto it, saying, "I remember this tactic. You send one ear forward in the hopes that I'll block it with both arms and then use the other ear. Don't think that's gonna work on me."

"Actually, I've learned from that mistake," the rabbit remarked with a grin as she sent the other ear into the boy's shin, his eyes wide open. This resulted in him loosening his grip on the other ear as both were soon wrapped around him, Lopunny drawing the boy forward until she had him in a tight embrace.

Machoke blinked and said, "Gotta hand it to her, I've never seen that tactic before," and it would only get worse for Gallade as Lopunny leaned backward, planting his head hard into the mat while the crowd went wild for her.

"And Lopunny counters Gallade's tactic with what I guess could be called an ear suplex," Nori stated, "It's as she said. That's definitely something we haven't seen from her before."

And with that, the rabbit bounced high above the ring with her feet aimed at Gallade's gut, Hitmonchan exclaiming, "COME ON, HONEY, YOU CAN DODGE THIS EASILY!" the rabbit shouting, "BUNNY BOUNCE!"

Gallade's eyes shot open as he remembered he had to do this for his sister. As such, he rolled to the side as Lopunny's feet hit the mat hard, her eyes wide open as her opponent took full advantage of this, striking the backs of her legs with a sweep kick.

The crowd cheered for the boy as this caught Lopunny off-guard, Gallade getting up and standing on the tips of his toes, grunting, "Sorry, but I simply can't lose this!" before spinning toward her with his arm blades pointed outward, shouting, "SWORDS DANCE!"

And as he got close enough, he managed to hit the rabbit multiple times, putting various cuts on her before she sent one of her ears into his face. This provided just enough of a distraction for her to leap away from him, breathing heavily with a light smile on her face.

"Now this is a fight," Lopunny said as Gallade nodded and thought, 'I fought a really powerful rabbit on Hero Planet just to be allowed a chance to fight on Earth. There's no way I'm gonna fall to you, even if you are a friend.'

But just as the match was about to continue, Heracross smirked and asked, "Hey, give me a turn, will ya, lass?" Lopunny smiling before replying, "Sure," bouncing over to the beetle and slapping her ear against his hand, the two trading places as Nori said, "Now Heracross has taken the stage. Let's see what he has to offer."

Gallade started to tense up as he thought, 'Oh no, I've never seen him in action, but Machoke told me he was really tough,' as Hitmonchan noticed this and asked, "You alright, honey? I could take your place if you want."

The green boy soon replaced his fear with a more serious look and replied, "It's alright. I think I can go a bit longer," the boxer smiling and replying, "If you're sure, then make me proud, tiger."

With that, Gallade held his ground as the rhino beetle before him folded his arms and said, "Don't think I'll go any lighter on you," before charging toward the boy.

Gallade held up his arms defensively as Heracross' horn rammed into them. But whereas this tactic had actually stopped Lopunny's ears, Heracross proved significantly stronger as he managed to force Gallade back until he wound up touching the ropes. And it did not end there as the beetle used this opportunity to send a few hard punches to the boy's gut.

The crowd cheered for Heracross as Gallade winced in pain, trying his hardest to resist. However, he found it very difficult to force the beetle's horn away from him and thus, Hitmonchan immediately rushed over to where he was and reached her arm over, tapping her hand against his.

With that, Nori rang the bell and exclaimed, "Hitmonchan has tagged her partner, therefor-" Heracross grinning and lifting his head up, saying, "It's alright, lass. I know how this works," backing up slightly as Hitmonchan kissed Gallade on the cheek, saying, "You've done a good job so far."

The boy took a deep breath and nodded, replying, "Thanks. Give him hell," the boy moving behind the ropes while Hitmonchan propelled herself over them.

With that, Heracross wasted no time rushing toward Hitmonchan only for the boxer to dodge to the right, sending a punch into the rhino beetle's cheek. The crowd went wild as Heracross' eyes went wide, Hitmonchan wasting no time sending a barrage of punches into his face with one fist while winding up the other. And after enough time, she proceeded to send the other into his chin as he backed up, rubbing the spot with a grimace.

"You alright, Heracross?" Lopunny uttered as the beetle nodded and smirked, replying, "I don't just feel alright, I feel alive!"

Machoke and the others cheered for Hitmonchan as Reika exclaimed, "Hitmonchan is so cool!" Keiko nodding and adding, "Yeah, it's amazing that she can pull that off with simple punches."

However, Heracross was not going to let this go so easily as he raced toward her again. The boxer rubbed her gloves together, creating an electric current around them before shouting, "THUNDER PUNCH!" but as she sent the fist forward, Heracross dodged to the right and sent his horn into the side of her head.

The boxer's eyes and mouth widened as that one hit dealt more pain than her multiple punches had earlier, Heracross then sliding his horn under Hitmonchan's feet. Machoke's eyes widened as he spat, "HITMONCHAN, LOOK OUT!" but it was too late as the beetle flung her into the air, shouting, "HORN SHOVEL!"

And as the boxer flew high above the ring, Heracross spread out his wings and rose up to her level, his horn glowing. He then planted it hard into the boxer's chest, shouting, "MEGAHORN!" Hitmonchan descending toward the mat and landing hard against it while the crowd cheered for the beetle.

Gallade's eyes widened as he held out his arm only for Hitmonchan to slowly rise to her feet, spitting out a small drop of blood before turning and giving the boy a thumb up. And just as a smile of relief formed on his face, Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes were up. And with that, Gallade could finally join his girlfriend, Lopunny entering as well.

"Good job hanging in there," Gallade said with a grin, "Now let's show them a taste of our teamwork," the boxer nodding with a warm smile.

With that, she immediately started to rub her right boxing glove against the ropes as Heracross blinked, Lopunny asking, "What's she doing?" the answer soon made clear when electricity surrounded the clothing.

"Unlike before, Hitmonchan is only using one glove," Nori stated as Gallade nodded and said, "It's so we can pull this off," the boy holding her left wrist.

And with that, the two spun their bodies around while standing on the tips of their toes, heading toward their opponents and shouting, "PSYCHO THUNDER!" both Lopunny and Heracross taking in an electrified punch and slash to their guts, backing up toward the ropes. However, it seemed they were not safe yet as both lovers continued their attack, Lopunny nodding at Heracross.

With that, the beetle lowered his horn as the rabbit leapt onto it, Heracross flinging her into the air while shouting, "HORN SHOVEL!" only to receive more strikes, only these ones hit his cheek.

But just as it seemed like the rhino beetle might go down soon, Lopunny flipped herself upside-down with her ears spread out. She had to get this just right and thus at the exact same time the couple had matched the position of her ears, she started to spin along with them.

The crowd was truly amazed as the rabbit exclaimed, "SPINNING CUDGEL!" sending the tips of her ears hard into each one's skull.

Both fighters went wide-eyed as their move came to a halt, their jaws dropped as this provided just enough of a distraction for Heracross to strike each one in the cheek with his horn. This caused the Boxing Brawlers to cough up blood as they skidded across the mat.

Reika bit her lower lip and uttered, "They were actually doing a good job," Aipom nodding as Talonflame folded his arms, sighing, "I saw this coming a mile away. I just didn't think they'd last this long."

And it did not end there as Lopunny landed behind Heracross, exclaiming, "Now! Let's finish this!" the rhino beetle nodding with a smirk and charging at Gallade and Hitmonchan.

With that, he proceeded to scoop Hitmonchan up with his horn only for Gallade to recover and grab hold it it, grunting, "I don't think so!"

But just as it seemed like the boy had truly stopped the attack, Machoke groaned, "Hate to break it to you, man, but he's spent years strengthening that horn. Pulling on it probably won't help that much," Gallade's eyes widening as he remarked, "Why didn't you warn me in advance!?"

With that, Heracross smirked and threw his head back, exclaiming, "THANKS FOR THE HELP, LADDIE!" flinging the Boxing Brawlers toward Lopunny.

And once the two were close enough, the rabbit spread out her ears and wrapped one around each fighter, leaning backward and exclaiming, "FLYING EAR BRAINBUSTER!"

With that, Gallade and Hitmonchan's skulls were planted into the canvas as Lopunny released her hold, the two fighters lying on their backs with their eyes closed. And thus Nori started the ten count, Machoke biting his lower lip and uttering, "Not gonna lie, I was kinda hoping he'd win this one."

Scyther and Talonflame looked at one-another, each one saying nothing as Scrafty sighed, "Well, he did put up a much better fight here than he did against me."

And once Nori reached ten, she rang the bell and exclaimed, "And the winners of this match are the Bouncing Biceps!" the crowd going wild as Hoopa folded his hands, saying, "Well, that was better than the last match, I guess."

After a few more seconds, Gallade and Hitmonchan opened their eyes, the boy letting out a disappointed sigh and groaning, "Great, even after all that, we still lost," only for the boxer to smile and reply, "But we did the best we could. I'm sure Gardevoir will be fine with that," the two sharing a brief kiss.

Heracross rolled his eyes and said, "Get a room, you two," as he and Lopunny helped them up, all four friends sharing a laugh. Sure, Gallade may not have won like he wanted to, but he felt fine knowing he had at least lost to friends and not enemies.

And with that, the two teams exited the ring as Nori said, "And despite all that went down, the two teams still remain on good terms," before smiling bright and adding, "And that concludes the sixth match, thus we will have another hour-long break! But don't be late because we're gonna have what I can only assume will be two very exciting matches, especially since the final match of this round involves the Hero Olympics champion!"

Hoopa grinned at Lucario as the dog turned to him and narrowed his eyelids, saying, "Something feels off about that guy," Clauncher giving him a confused look.

However, Scyther intended to use this time to get in some extra training as she said, "Come on, Talonflame, we gotta get ready," the falcon sighing, "How did I know you were gonna say that?" before joining her.

Bisharp and Scrafty also rose from their seats as the lizard grinned at his partner, asking, "Ya thinking what I'm thinking?" Bisharp nodding and replying, "Quite so. Let us prepare for this epic battle," the two taking their leave as well.

Lucario had also decided to use this time to train with Clauncher as Hoopa turned to Diancie and asked, "Hey, wanna look around a bit?" the sylph turning to him and uttering, "Don't you wanna train too?"

"Please!" the genie retorted with a smug look on his face, "I don't need training!" Diancie nodding and nervously replying, "Oh, yes, of course. I should have known better."

Aipom eyed the two and watched them leave the area. She could detect a lack of chemistry between them, and such a thing could easily lead to their downfall. And yet despite that, she also had the same strange feeling that Lucario had about them, as if they were a lot more threatening than they looked.

And of course there was also the fact that no one knew what had happened to Beedrill and Butterfree. To the best of their knowledge, the two were still in the stadium right now. And just who were these two who had put them out of commission? Would anyone ever find out?


	14. Chapter 14

While most of the remaining four teams were busy preparing for their matches, Machoke decided to stretch his legs with his friends. Aipom, Gallade and Hitmonchan walked with him, the boy sighing, "I really hope Gardevoir's okay with this."

"Aw, come on," Hitmonchan replied with a grin, "You know her. No matter what you do, you'll always be her wonderful big brother to her. Heck, you've lost plenty of times over the past and she still believes in you," the boy giving her an awkward stare as Machoke snickered and replied, "You have to admit, she has a point."

Aipom, however, seemed deep in thought as Machoke turned to her, asking, "What's up? You thinking about my second match already?" the monkey shaking her head and replying, "Oh no, it's something else. Remember what I brought up before that last match?"

"You mean how that Smeargle jerk and his ally seem to have left the stadium after their match ended?" Hitmonchan remarked with her hands behind her head, the monkey nodding and replying, "Yeah, I thought maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but they really don't seem to be anywhere."

"Yeah, that is kind of weird, isn't it?" Gallade asked, "I actually wanted to confront Smeargle after we finished our training, but I couldn't find him anywhere," Machoke staring at the others as Aipom turned to him and sighed, "You didn't even notice, did you?"

"Well, I was too focused on Gardevoir's health to even think about it," Machoke replied with a sigh, "But yeah, it is kinda weird they'd just up and leave like that, especially during Gothitelle and Mawile's match. You'd think they'd stick around for that to know how they fight."

Gallade nodded and added, "Not to mention Smeargle is supposed to be our friend. I figured if anything, he'd at least want to see my match," Hitmonchan frowning and grunting, "Yeah, the nerve of him! That's just rude!"

Aipom then shrugged and replied, "Maybe we're just jumping to assumptions. For all we know, he probably just went to the hospital to check up on Gardevoir," all going silent as Gallade slapped his forehead, sighing, "Why didn't I think of that?"

With that in mind, he pulled out his cellphone and called Kirlia, holding it up to the side of his head as he soon got a response. The two spoke for two minutes, Gallade nodding his head and saying, "Alright, thanks. Love you too. Bye."

He then let out a sigh and stated, "Smeargle hasn't been seen there once, and Mom and Dad have been there the whole time, so they would have noticed if he showed up," Hitmonchan asking, "Are you sure Smeargle's your friend? Because nothing I've seen him do since that transformation of his seems like something a friend would do."

All four heroes went wide-eyed as Machoke uttered, "You know, now that you mention it, that Vespiquen girl is kind of suspicious, isn't she?"

Before the group could contemplate this further, they noticed a certain white butterfly looking around the area as Machoke waved. The bug noticed him and walked over as he said, "Hey, you're Masquerain, Florges' friend, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," she replied with a light smile before sporting a more serious look and adding, "Actually, I'm glad I found you. Have you seen Smeargle anywhere?"

"We were just talking about that, actually," Gallade replied, "The funny thing is, both he and Vespiquen disappeared after their match. I get the feeling they left the stadium."

Masquerain let out a low groan before giving the group a sweet smile and saying, "Well, thanks anyway," before turning to Machoke and adding, "By the way, you're pretty awesome. I can see why Gardevoir likes you so much."

"Thank you," Machoke replied with a grin as the butterfly bowed her head and said, "Well, it was nice talking to you, but now I must be off," only for Gallade to say, "Hey, if you're so intent on looking for them, it might be better to wait until tomorrow. After all, they'll have no choice but to return, right?"

Masquerain blinked and nodded, replying, "You know, you actually have a really good point," the green boy smiling and suggesting that she hang out with them for a while.

And soon enough, Machoke and most of the others not competing in the final two matches had managed to get together for a small chat. This of course included Hawlucha and his family, all of them having a good time. And while Masquerain was still intent on discovering the truth not only behind Smeargle's change in personality but also who had sabotaged her and Florges during the elimination race, it was nice to get some downtime and even make some new friends. In fact, she actually wished Florges could have joined in as they all managed to get along so well.

Even Golduck had joined in while Abomasnow had been hesitant at first. As it so happened, despite his look implying otherwise, he was shy around others. But after a while, he started to get into the conversation as well.

The only people not to show up for the get-together were Heracross, Lopunny and even Reika. This was because all three were helping Scyther and Talonflame train. The beetle and rabbit used this time to spar with their friends while Reika simply watched, giving them her full support. At the very least, she definitely wanted to see Scyther win one match in this tournament.

However, just as it was getting close to their match, Scyther turned to the girl and said, "You know, you really didn't have to do this. You could have had fun with your friends," Reika shrugging and replying, "I'm having plenty of fun here with you guys," Talonflame nudging his insect ally as she gave him an awkward look.

With that, the girl noticed the time and said, "Well, I best go before someone claims my seat," heading off as Talonflame, Lopunny and Heracross all held their arms against their hips, staring at Scyther as she asked, "Seriously, why are you all looking at me like that?"

But while everyone's spirits had been lifted quite a bit, there was still one major problem. Beedrill and Butterfree were still locked in the closet and one could only guess how long it would be until someone noticed, if ever.

And after a few more minutes, the seats were filled as Masquerain decided to take Gallade's advice. After all, he had a point. Searching the entire city would be a lot more exhausting than simply waiting for them to show up for the second round. Besides, she could probably get Florges to join her by that time.

"Alright, everyone, I hope you all had a good break," Nori stated, "because now it's time for the seventh match of round one. It's been an exciting tournament so far and I'm sure it'll only get better," Hoopa sighing, "Is it just her job to be overly-optimistic about everything? Seriously, those last two matches were a joke."

Diancie shrugged and said, "On the upside, our match with Lucario will come more quickly now," the genie's eyes widening as he slowly nodded, a light smile on his face as he replied, "You know, you are absolutely right."

And after a few more sentences from the announcer, it was time to introduce the teams as she pointed at the Western entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, both of these fighters are former villains now fighting for the side of good! One is a knight who, while chivalrous, is also quite deadly! He and his former partner in crime defeated Throh and Sawk with incredible ease when we first saw him in action and he's only proven himself more threatening from here! And his ally was the first villain to ever defeat one of Tokyo's heroes in combat, though his loss to Gardevoir afterwards has reformed him while he still continues to dominate with his knee kicks of fury! Put your hands together and possibly even give a bow for the Gentle Punks!"

"Gentle punks?" Machoke uttered as no one else seemed to find the name degrading. They all cheered as Bisharp and Scrafty headed toward the ring with the knight holding a boombox playing loud rock music over his head while the lizard performed air guitar while moving his feet to the rhythm.

Once they were close to the ring, both leapt toward it, performing a series of flips, each one landing on one knee with his arms spread out, Bisharp setting down his boombox and turning it off. Needless to say, this was enough to get the crowd excited.

Gallade applauded them before sighing, "I wish Gardevoir had been here to see that," Machoke nodding and replying, "Me too. That definitely would have meant a lot to Scrafty, that's for sure."

However, Scrafty did not seem the least bit upset over this as he knew full-well the reason the girl could not be here today. He just smiled at one of the cameras and thought, 'I hope you're watching this, Gardevoir. I'll do my best.'

And much like when Bisharp fought alongside Onix in the match Nori had mentioned, the knight had already decided to let Scrafty go first ahead of time. It was simply in his nature.

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, pointing at the Eastern entrance, "one is an insect with incredible fighting spirit! Once fighting under the guidance of her mother, the legendary Scizor, she now fights on her own accord with unbelievable speed and strength! And her partner is no slouch either, having once been a villain just like his opponents! He used to go under the guise of Golurk, which I can only assume was a big contributor to his great physical strength! He once tried to strip Blaziken of her Texas Phoenix title and even dislocated his own partner's left arm and right leg when the two of them fought in the Next Gen Battle! Introducing the Slashing Explosions!"

The crowd went wild as Scyther and Talonflame flew toward the ring, grinning at one-another. The two then proceeded to circle around each-other, creating rings in the air before diving toward the ring and performing a U-turn just in time to avoid slamming their faces into it, descending gracefully onto the surface while folding their arms.

Scizor, who was seated somewhere in the middle, smiled and thought, 'I'm so proud of you, Scyther. Not only are you here right now fighting without my advice, but you look so much more confident than ever before,' her eyes narrowed as her mind added, 'Though honestly, I would have chosen a better ally.'

While the red insect knew full-well that Talonflame was on the side of good now, she still had not completely gotten over how he had set up an electric ring death match just to render her unable to give advice. And to think he had actually done this while still posing as a hero.

And much like the Gentle Punks, the Slashing Explosions had already agreed on which teammate would go first, though this did require coaxing. Despite her efforts to mature over the years, Scyther always liked being first when it came to this sort of thing, and thus her falcon partner knew he had to accept this.

And with both teams ready, Nori saw no need to delay the match any longer as she rang the bell, Scyther immediately sprinting toward Scrafty. But just as she got close, the lizard leapt to the side and sent a roundhouse into her waist. The crowd went wild as he leapt away from her, a grin on his face.

"Good show, Sir Scrafty!" Bisharp exclaimed as Scyther turned to him and said, "Ja, that certainly caught me off-guard, but it won't happen again."

With that, the insect headed toward the lizard while thinking, 'I need to think logically like Mother would,' as she realized something she could do.

And as she got close to Scrafty, the lizard leapt upward this time only for Scyther to jump at the same time. Scrafty panicked now as she proceeded to wrap her arms around him, throwing him over her shoulder and leaning backward. However, she also remembered the crest atop his head could easily prevent him from taking in damage and thus applied enough pressure to force his head forward and shouted, "FLYING HAMMER!" the back of Scrafty's head hitting the mat hard.

The crowd went wild as she released her hold, a light smile on her face as she thought, 'I hope you saw that, mother. I'll show you that I can be independent now,' Bisharp asking, "Are you okay, my friend?"

Scrafty slowly but surely recovered as he smirked and replied, "Of course. It'll take more than that to keep me down," Scyther nodding and holding up a fighting pose, Scizor all the while thinking, 'It was a tad early to use a move like that, but you managed to pull it off flawlessly. Good job, Scyther.'

And it seemed the insect would not let it end with that as she rushed toward Scrafty again. However, as she sent a knee kick his way, the lizard retaliated with one of his own, both knees colliding.

As it so happened, Scyther had counted on him doing this as she used her other leg to kick him in the side. This left the lizard in just enough pain to take two high kicks to the face, backing up with a grimace.

"Hey, is this some kind of insult?" he grunted as neither of the other fighters knew where he was going with that until he added, "Let me guess, you're trying to be ironic by using my tactics against me, is that it?"

"Nein, I was just using strategy," Scyther replied with a shrug as Reika uttered, "I thought Scrafty was a better sport than this."

Hearing this, Bisharp nodded and said, "I must agree, Scrafty. You're being a touch immature right now," the lizard sighing, "You're right," before smirking and saying, "Still, gotta hand it to ya, Scyther, ya still got some amazing skill, but I'm not gonna let ya whale on me any longer."

Scyther smirked and replied, "I wouldn't have it any other way," once again charging toward the lizard.

However, Scrafty was ready this time as he did something completely unexpected. Up until now, the lizard hard never used his hands for combat, so needless to say, the crowd was absolutely astounded when he threw his arms forward and latched onto Scyther's wrists, forcing her arms to the side.

The crowd cheered for Scrafty as he propelled himself up, planting both of his feet into her chest as she backed up, wincing from the pain. And of course it did not end there as the lizard leapt toward the insect with his knee pointed out, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!"

Scrafty received even more cheers as his knee hit Scyther's face hard, the insect falling on her back as Nori exclaimed, "Scyther started off with an incredible advantage, but Scrafty has managed to turn this around and even unleash his most powerful move! And I still can't believe I actually saw him of all fighters use his hands!"

"Yes, I must say, that actually surprised me as well," Bisharp replied as Machoke uttered, "You mean he wasn't in on it?"

"Yeah, it's just that after relying on nothing but my head and feet for so long, I figured it was time to mix things up a bit," Scrafty replied while holding up his skin flap, "The only downside is I kinda need my hands to hold up my pants, but that's a small price to pay."

However, his eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on him that he had forgotten to take advantage of Scyther's state, the insect rising to her feet. He had fully intended on striking her at least one more time while she was down and had gotten too caught up in the moment.

"I must say, that definitely caught me off-guard, but that was nothing compared to the torment that Talonflame and Ninetales put me through when I fought them," Scyther stated as Talonflame smirked and replied, "Yeah, you tell him."

With that in mind, the insect rushed at the lizard once more as he smirked and said, "Don't think that's all I have," before leaping up and latching his ankles onto Scyther's neck. He then proceeded to flip upside-down, planting his hands against the mat as he lifting her up, slamming her head into the canvas while the crowd cheered for him once more.

Then with that, the lizard leapt into the air, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!" headed toward her gut as Scizor was just about to get up and blurt out a piece of advice despite swearing she would never do so.

But it seemed as if she might not need to as Scyther's eyes opened, the insect folding her arms as her trademark blades sprouted out of them. And it was just like when Gallade had attempted his Psycho Cut on the lizard, his knee hitting the blades thus putting his attack to a halt.

And much like when Gallade blocked his strike, this wound up hurting Scrafty's knee as he gritted his teeth, a light tear rolling down his cheek. And it would not end there as Scyther threw her arms out and sent Scrafty a little ways into the air, planting her arms against the mat and lifting her legs up, sending her feet into the lizard's gut.

Scrafty flew toward the side of the ring Bisharp was on as he pressed up against the ropes, using his arms to stop himself and taking a deep breath. Seeing this, the knight tapped him on the shoulder, asking, "Would you like to take a breather?"

"Yeah, a breather would be nice," Scrafty replied with a grin as he tagged in his partner, Bisharp leaping over the rope and taking his place.

The crowd was now even more excited as Nori stated, "Seems no one here has forgotten that legendary match between Bisharp and Machoke. The crowd has missed seeing this knight in action," Machoke sighing, "And yet they still had trouble remembering who I was after the match," Aipom patting him on the shoulder.

With that, Bisharp held up his arms with his wrist spikes pointed outward, saying, "Your swords may be strong, but mine are quite deadly as well," Scyther smirking and remarking, "Your swords are more like daggers."

With that in mind, both fighters rushed toward one-another as Scizor nodded and thought, 'Scyther certainly has the right mindset. Her blades aren't just bigger but they're also stronger than the spikes on Bisharp's wrists. This could end well for her.'

With that, Scyther crossed her arms and exclaimed, "ARM SCHWERT!" swinging her blades in a cross formation only for Bisharp to hold up his fists.

Probably the biggest shock of all was that this actually proved enough to stop them. The insect's eyes widened as Bisharp took hold of her arms, which were still crossed, and leaned backward, planting her head into the mat.

However, Scyther easily freed herself from his grip and rolled away from him, scowling as Talonflame barked, "Hey, Scyther, don't forget this is a team match!"

The insect's eyes widened as she nodded and said, "Ja," rushing toward the falcon only for Bisharp to race toward her with his left wrist spike pointed outward, shouting, "WRIST SWORD!"

Luckily, Scyther saw this coming as she leapt high enough to avoid the strike, flipping forward before landing in front of Talonflame, tagging him. The falcon smirked as now Bisharp and Scrafty were a tad worried, the two knowing full-well just how powerful this opponent would be. After all, he seemed impossible to defeat until the day Machoke discovered his odd fear of the sun.

"You know, tagging me in would have been so much easier if you flew over to me," Talonflame said with a smirk as Scyther sighed, "Just because I'm not taking mother's advice doesn't mean I'm going to start using my wings for battle. I'm good enough not to need them," the falcon raising an eyebrow and sighing, "I learned a long time ago that there is such a thing as too confident."

"I actually kinda feel sorry for Bisharp, now," Machoke uttered as Tsuya nodded and replied, "Oh yeah, Talonflame almost beat you, didn't he?" Cici whimpering, "He technically would have if Weedle hadn't stopped the ten count."

And it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty would certainly need to be careful as the falcon flew toward the knight. However, just as Bisharp was about to fight back, the falcon flipped himself over his head, sending his talons into the back of the knight's helmet.

And it did not end there as he lit his right talon on fire, exclaiming, "ROUNDHOUSE INFERNO!" sending another hard kick to Bisharp, this time knocking him forward.

The crowd cheered as Nori exclaimed, "And with only mere kicks, Talonflame shows us that great power that gave Machoke a run for his money!" and it did not end there as the falcon proceeded to fly above the knight, placing his talons together, the claws pointing at Bisharp's back.

Everyone knew what was coming as Machoke winced and uttered, "I remember this one," Reika groaning, "Yeah, it was painful watching you fall victim to that."

And with that, Talonflame spun his body around like a top as flames surrounded his body, the falcon descending toward Bisharp and shouting, "SPINNING TOP INFERNO!"

However, just as it was about to hit, the knight's eyes opened as he quickly rolled out of the way, Talonflame running into the mat as his claws were stuck there. The falcon looked down at his talons and tried desperately to pry them out of the canvas, even flapping his wings as hard as he could while grunting, "I can't believe I just fell for that."

And of course, there was no way Bisharp was going to let this opportunity slide as he quickly sprinted toward the turnbuckle, leaping onto it and placing his arms against his side. His fans knew exactly what was coming as they cheered wildly, Scrafty grinning wide. This was a move the knight had not used since his fight with Machoke and everyone looked forward to seeing it again.

As such, Bisharp leapt off of the turnbuckle and flipped vertically toward Talonflame's back, the falcon's eyes widening as the knight's axe head put a big gash in his back, Bisharp exclaiming, "GOLDEN BATTLE AXE!"

The crowd went wild as Machoke clapped and said, "Nice to see he's at least found a better way to make that move work," but much like when Scyther hit Talonflame with her Arm Schwert, the falcon did his best not to let the pain get to him as he finally managed to pry his talons out of the mat.

However, things were only about to get more interesting when Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes were up. This got the crowd even more excited as Scyther and Scrafty entered the ring, both eager to help out their respective teammates. Needless to say, the match could only get more intense from here.


	15. Chapter 15

With the tornado tag portion now underway, the crowd was beyond excited. Already the match had exceeded most of the audience's expectations and one could only guess what these teams could pull off together.

"Good job getting the upper hand back," Scrafty said, placing a hand on Bisharp's shoulder as the knight nodded and replied, "Honestly, I wasn't completely certain if I could do it, but I'm sure if we put our minds to it, even we can defeat someone as strong as Talonflame."

"Well, that would be interesting," Talonflame remarked with his arms folded as Scyther nodded and said, "Don't forget about me."

With that, the Slashing Explosions wasted no time charging toward their opponents as Scrafty nodded at Bisharp. With that in mind, he leapt atop the knight's hands before being propelled into the air. Afterwards, the knight leapt up and clung to Scrafty's ankles, the two performing a vertical flip toward Talonflame.

Sure enough, Bisharp managed to land a hard kick to the falcon's forehead, wrapping his ankles around his neck before leaning back and grabbing hold of his ankles. The crowd was truly amazed as after Bisharp had delivered his kick, Scrafty leapt out of his grip and sent his own two-legged kick into Scyther's skull, setting her up for the same move.

And with that, the Gentle Punks nodded at one-another before applying just enough force to flip their opponents over, planting their skulls into the mat while the crowd went wild. Nori was speechless as she had no idea how to react to such an odd yet creative tactic.

"Wow, that was impressive," Machoke uttered, "It's like they planned that from the get-go," Aipom nodding and replying, "Yeah, it's truly amazing what one can accomplish in a team match. They may be strong when fighting by themselves, but when they fight as a team, they can be even stronger."

And it did not end there as Bisharp proceeded to lift up Talonflame, holding onto his wrists and ankles while bending his back in a bridge formation, the crowd even more impressed as the falcon gritted his teeth, grunting, "Why can't I get out of this!?"

Even Lucario was beyond shocked as Bisharp exclaimed, "NOW, SIR SCRAFTY!" the lizard smirking and latching onto Scyther's neck once more with his ankles, using his hands to propel himself high into the air.

He then proceeded to flip his body around, releasing his hold and allowing her to spin vertically in midair, soon moving above her partner. And once her belly was facing Talonflame's, Scrafty planted both knees into her back as he and Bisharp exclaimed, "IRON MAIDEN!" Scyther colliding with her partner.

This forced Talonflame's back into Bisharp's blade-like ribcage as the gash got bigger, both he and Scyther coughing up blood. All the while, the crowd cheered wildly as Nori stated, "It would seem that the Gentle Punks have created a special move based around those coffins with spikes on the inside."

"Oh, so it wasn't a reference to the band?" Machoke asked as Aipom and Reika rose their hands to strike him for that dumb question but did not go further with that, Reika uttering, "It pains me to admit it, but I was thinking the same thing," Aipom whimpering, "I'm so ashamed."

"Honestly, I just can't believe I'm seeing this," Gallade said, "Seriously, Machoke, how hard was it for you to defeat Talonflame?" the boy sighing, "Please don't remind me of that."

Needless to say, Lopunny and Heracross were especially worried. After all, Scyther and Talonflame were much closer to them than Scrafty and Bisharp. As such, they wanted to see the duo win more than anyone else.

And it would seem that not all hope was lost for them as Talonflame gritted his teeth, asking, "How's about we give these two a taste of our teamwork?" Scyther nodding and replying, "Ja," before planting her hands and feet firmly against Talonflame's shoulders and ankles. She then propelled her back up hard enough to force Scrafty off of her as he flipped backward, landing on his feet.

It was then that Scyther leapt off of Talonflame, allowing the falcon to pry himself free from Bisharp's grip, propelling himself toward Scrafty while Scyther descended and planted her feet into the knight's midsection, right between his ribcage. And to top it off, Talonflame had also landed a two-legged kick to Scrafty's forehead, knocking him on his back.

He then lifted up the lizard by the head and smirked, saying, "I gotta hand it to you. Both of you did a lot better against me than I thought you would," Scyther taking hold of Bisharp's wrist and adding, "But it's gonna take a lot more than that to take us down. My mother's hellish training gave me an incredible resistance to pain."

The insect then proceeded to swing her body around, forcing Bisharp to run toward Talonflame as the falcon flung Scrafty toward the knight, stating, "And as for me, I've built up so much strength that it'll take a great deal of power to take me down for good."

Hoopa's eyes sparkled as he squealed, "I hope to I get to face these two in the next round!" Diancie confused by this but refusing to question it as the Gentle Punks collided with one-another.

And of course the attack did not end there as Talonflame and Scyther charged toward their opponents, each with their arms out as they hooked both of them in the neck. Bisharp's eyes were wide with shock as Scrafty coughed up a bit of blood.

"And just as it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty could win this, Talonflame and Scyther retaliate with two hooks at once!" Nori stated, "And despite the simplicity of the move, both opponents have taken in considerable pain from it!"

And the Slashing Explosions had much more up their sleeves as Scyther lifted up Bisharp and leaned back, planting the back of his head into the mat with a German suplex. All the while, Talonflame sent a hard punch to Scrafty's face, leaping back toward the ropes and bouncing off, shouting, "NOW, SCYTHER!"

The insect nodded and lifted up Bisharp, shoving him in front of his ally as Talonflame's body caught flame, the falcon planting his beak hard into the knight's midsection while shouting, "FLAME MISSILE!"

The crowd cheered wildly for him as he forced Bisharp's back hard into Scrafty, sending both into the turnbuckle before backing up and smirking, saying, "You guys may be tough, but we're really tough."

Scyther nodded as the two gave each-other a high five. However, they were a tad surprised when both of their opponents recovered, breathing heavily but still appearing to have plenty of fight left in them.

"Well, we already knew ya two would be a pain in the ass," Scrafty said with a smirk, "Honestly, you have not disappointed us, but even so, we have no intention of losing."

"Yes, you may be our friends, but we swore not to hold back no matter what," Bisharp added as Talonflame grinned, saying, "Honestly, I'm just grateful you're taking this as seriously as you are. So far, this match has been a lot more fun than I expected. I'm having a blast."

"Even so, we're still gonna win this one, right?" Scyther asked as the falcon nodded, the two headed toward the Gentle Punks again.

However, it seemed Bisharp and Scrafty still had more fight left in them as the knight took hold of his partner's tail. He then proceeded to fling him forward, the lizard's feet pointed outward.

However, just as Scyther and Talonflame readied themselves for the impact, both were shocked when Scrafty soared right past them. The two then turned toward him and shrugged, turning back to Bisharp as Talonflame said, "After all that effort to get up, they miss. Well, makes things easier for us."

"At this point, did you honestly believe that was unintentional?" the knight retorted as Scrafty planted his feet into the rope, bouncing off and aiming for Scyther's back, shouting, "HEAD SMASH!"

With that, his crest was rammed hard into the insect's back as she flew toward Bisharp, the knight's arm blades out as he used them to pierce her shoulders. The crowd went wild as the knight leaned backward, Talonflame rushing at him only for Scrafty to flip toward him, shouting, "HIGH JUMP KICK!"

However, the falcon easily blocked the incoming knee with both of his hands. But luckily for the Gentle Punks, this provided just enough of a distraction for Bisharp to plant Scyther's skull hard into the mat, shouting, "DAGGER SUPLEX!"

He then retracted them and said, "Thanks for helping me come up with a name for that," as he took advantage of the fact that Talonflame was preoccupied, exclaiming, "WRIST SWORD!" and striking him on the side with his left spike.

This actually dealt just enough pain for the falcon to let go as Scrafty continued his descent, striking the falcon in the forehead. However, panic rose within the lizard as this was not enough to knock Talonflame on his back as a wicked smirk formed on his face.

Machoke panicked and uttered, "I forgot just how scary he could be," Lucario nodding and thinking, 'I was worried you might be losing your edge, but your resistance to pain is still as impressive as ever. I hope to face you in the next round.'

With that, Talonflame proceeded to hurl Scrafty into the turnbuckle as Nori exclaimed, "The Gentle Punks got themselves an amazing comeback, but it looks like it might not last!" and this seemed so as just as Bisharp was about to go in for a strike of his own, Talonflame took to the sky and asked, "What say we end this, eh, Scyther? Let's try that move I taught you."

"The one you and Lucario used against Missingno, ja?" the insect replied as Talonflame nodded and said, "The same."

With that in mind, Scyther performed an aerial flip toward Talonflame who grabbed hold of her ankles. He then proceeded to fly toward Bisharp who exclaimed, "This is easy to overcome!"

But as he propelled himself off the ropes and headed toward them with his wrist spikes at the ready, Talonflame lifted Scyther just high enough for her to grab onto his arms. The knight tried his hardest to pry himself free but found himself unable to do so, Talonflame's body once again consumed by flames.

With that, the falcon flew high into the air before performing a U-turn, flipping both Scyther and Bisharp over him as Scyther released her hold on the knight, the two shouting, "TOWER FLARE BLITZ!"

Lucario's eyes sparkled at the sight of this, Clauncher asking, "You came up with that?" the dog nodding as Bisharp flew fast and hard into Scrafty just as the lizard was seconds away from recovering.

And that was that. Scrafty coughed up one last bit of blood as both passed out, Nori starting the ten count while the crowd went wild, Talonflame and Scyther landing gracefully against the mat, a big smirk on Talonflame's face.

"Didn't think I'd see that move again," Machoke said as Aipom nodded and added, "I guess I should have known Lucario wasn't the only one who could pull that off."

And sure enough, Nori soon reached the ten count as she rang the bell and exclaimed, "AND AFTER A LONG AND INTENSE MATCH, THE SLASHING EXPLOSIONS HAVE WON THIS MATCH!" the crowd cheering even louder, Talonflame raising his arm in the air and exclaiming, "Man, does it feel good to be in the spotlight again!?"

"Ja, and it feels wonderful to win without any advice for a change," Scyther added as the two gave each-other a high five.

Unfortunately, Talonflame was not exactly a master at deliberately weakening his attacks so his opponents would not be hospitalized like Machoke and a lot of the others and thus, it seemed that the Gentle Punks would need medical attention. And as strange as it was, the falcon did feel a little bad about that as he saw them being put on stretchers.

However, he was surprised when both had enough consciousness to at least wake up, Bisharp opening his eyes first and saying, "Good show," one of the medics carrying him, saying, "I wouldn't recommend talking right now."

"Hey, it's not hurting me," Scrafty replied with a grin before turning to Scyther and Talonflame, saying, "Best of luck to ya."

And soon enough, both were taken out of the stadium as Scyther gave them a quick wave, saying, "Not gonna lie, we make a pretty awesome team."

"Yeah, you were actually really badass today," Talonflame replied with a smirk as Scyther jokingly remarked, "Only today?" the two nudging each-other and laughing.

"And I thought he and Lucario acting friendly toward each-other was weird at first," Machoke uttered as the Slashing Explosions exited the ring.

All the while, Scizor folded her arms and thought, 'Excellent work, Scyther. I have to admit, you and Talonflame work well together. I guess I really don't have anything to worry about after all.'

"Well, as you all know, there's only ten minutes left before the final match of round one," Nori stated, "All of you get up, stretch, do whatever needs to be done because this is certain to be an amazing fight."

Naturally, this was the match everyone had anticipated since the tournament began. To see Lucario in action after so long seemed like a dream come true, and all of them were ready to see if he would once again be the champion.

However, while the idea of facing the dog again did scare Machoke to a certain degree, he still grinned and held a thumb up. Lucario nodded at the sight of this, giving the boy a light smile and returning the gesture. If anything, both wanted a chance at a rematch in the finals.

However, while Lucario and Clauncher headed off to train, Hoopa smirked and said, "Train all you like, but it won't help. I'm gonna enjoy wiping the floor with the Hero Olympics champion," Diancie nodding and replying, "Of course. Once we take him down, the world will know just how dangerous we really are."

Meanwhile, in a certain locked closet, Beedrill and Butterfree were still out cold. Hopefully they would recover in time for the next round and free themselves as one could only guess what the imposters would do in their place.

All the while, Lucario and Clauncher were getting ready as Clauncher said, "That was a really cool move you and Talonflame came up with. Honestly, I'm surprised you wouldn't wanna team up with him," the dog smiling and replying, "We may work well together, but honestly, I can't think of a better ally right now."

A part of him was unsure whether he truly meant that or not, but at the same time, he did not regret this response. After all, the first time he ever defeated a villain was when he fought alongside Clauncher. Both Krokorok and Leavanny had him on the ropes until the short blue lobster came in and saved not only him but also the bank. It just felt right to fight alongside her once again.

And once the ten minutes were up, everyone was ready for the match to begin. Once again, this was the most highly anticipated match of the day and to have it last just seemed fitting.

"Now, pay real close attention to this match," Aipom said with a serious look, "Remember, you might end up facing Lucario in the finals again," Machoke nodding and replying, "Yeah, I know. I'm hoping for that," the boy thinking, 'You're awesome, Lucario, but I wanna see if my improvements are enough to beat you this time.'

Once the crowd was settled, Nori cleared her throat and stated, "Well, this is it, folks, the final match of round one! It's been pretty exciting so far to say the least, but has the best truly been saved for last? After all, Lucario is the favourite to win the entire tournament, but not much is known about his opponents. Just where did these two come from and what do they have to offer?"

Masquerain sat amongst the crowd and thought, 'I don't know, but there's something odd about those two.'

Much like Lucario, the butterfly had been paying attention to Hoopa and Diancie every now and then. Something about them just rubbed her the wrong way and she intended to find out why.

"Without further ado, let's introduce the teams!" Nori exclaimed before pointing at the Western entrance, shouting, "In the red corner, one is the Hero Olympics champion! Once a villain, he now fights for the side of good and has shown us incredible strength and skill! And though he doesn't have his trademark chest spike, the source of his London Bridge technique, he can still pack a punch! And his partner is a rather laid-back sort but knows when to get serious! Though an odd combination, perhaps this could be a match made in heaven, but not in that way! With that, I introduce to you all to the Fancy Fighters!"

With that, the crowd went wild as Lucario and Clauncher approached the ring, waving to the crowd. Though while the lobster had a big smile on her face, Lucario had a much more serious one. After all, that was just in his nature.

"First the Gentle Punks then the Fancy Fighters?" Machoke groaned, "Come on, Lucario's way too badass for a name like that!" Reika shrugging and replying, "Maybe it's a cultural thing."

Even so, he quickly replaced his disappointment with a big grin, exclaiming, "Kick their asses, Lucario!" waving to him as the dog turned and gave him a light smile, nodding his head.

With that, Nori pointed toward the Eastern entrance, shouting, "And in the blue corner, there's about as much known about these two as Vespiquen as they seem to have come out of nowhere! One is a genie, but not the kind who grants wishes! He may be small in stature, but one can only imagine what he might be capable of! And his partner is quite a beauty but is also most likely to be a lot stronger than she looks! So, everyone, give a warm welcome to the Demonic Angels!"

The crowd was unsure of how to react, but some gave the newcomers light applause just to be polite as the two headed toward the ring. Hoopa waved and blew the people kisses as if the lack of cheering meant nothing to him while Diancie gave a light wave with a cute smile.

"Hoopa," she whispered, "We're not getting as much attention as I thought we would," the genie replying, "It's alright. These nice people have just never seen us in action before. Trust me, when this match is over, they'll remember our names."

With that, the two entered the ring as Masquerain narrowed her eyelids, really hoping the Fancy Fighters would take these two down. And with that, Lucario decided to give Clauncher the first shot.

However, the lobster shook her head and replied, "Actually, it's probably best that you go first," the dog raising an eyebrow as she added, "Think about it. The crowd mostly came to see you. I don't think they'll be nearly as satisfied seeing me go first."

The dog shrugged and replied, "Guess you're right," as Amanda was watching this on her TV back in London, exclaiming, "Kick some tail, bro! I know you can do it!"

Of course, her and Lucario's mother, Sarah, was also going to watch but not before making some tea for the occasion. And as it just so happened, she had only now finished brewing it as she entered the room, breathing a sigh of relief. After all, she did not wish to miss a minute of the match.

And just as Clauncher suggested, Lucario was up first as Diancie did not even question Hoopa's decision to take the first stand. After all, she knew full-well just how much he wanted this.

Before the match could begin, Hoopa grinned and said, "You have no idea what a pleasure it is to stand in the ring with you right now," holding out his right hand as Lucario blinked, the audience certainly glad to know he was a good sport.

However, the dog looked suspicious until the genie said, "I remember watching you defeat Machoke in the Olympic finals. You were so cool and I honestly wish I could be as awesome as you. Just to shake your paw would be a true honour."

Lucario nodded and sported a light smile, saying, "Well, here's to a good match," holding out his own hand only for Hoopa to smirk and send a fierce uppercut to the dog's chin.

The crowd gasped as Nori wasted no time ringing the bell and signalling the start of the match. Hoopa floated behind Lucario and wrapped his arms around his waist, leaning backward and planting the back of his head into the mat.

The crowd started to boo the genie as Nori exclaimed, "And Hoopa starts this match off with a dirty tactic, lulling his opponent into a false sense of security just so he can take advantage of him!"

And it seemed Hoopa's attacks would not end there as he said, "You should have seen that coming. After all, didn't Machoke do the same thing to you after your match with Garchomp?" the dog growling angrily as Hoopa proceeded to latch onto his head, forcing his face toward the turnbuckle.

However, Lucario was ready now as he held up his arms, turning his paws around so his spikes faced Hoopa's hands. He then proceeded to plant them into those very parts as the genie's eyes widened. And thus he released his hold and groaned in pain, trying to shake it off while the crowd cheered for Lucario.

"I knew that wouldn't be enough to stop you!" Clauncher exclaimed as Lucario sighed, "First of all, Machoke didn't try that crap during our match, and secondly, he had a good reason to hit me in the face. But no matter, I know you're not the only hero out there who would think to try something like that and I only see it as an added challenge to overcome. I'm just glad you're going all-out. It'll make victory much more satisfying."

The crowd was even more impressed, Machoke uttering, "So something like that isn't against the rules?" Aipom shaking her head and replying, "Nope, I've seen humans get away with that too," before narrowing her eyelids at the boy and adding, "But promise you'll never stoop to that level," the boy remarking, "Are you calling me a cheater!?"

And with Lucario back on the offensive, he was not going to let this moment to strike back go as he charged at Hoopa with a blue aura around his paw, shouting, "FORCE PALM!" sending it hard into the genie's face. The crowd went wild as he then proceeded to send a fierce knee kick to his gut, Hoopa backing up and grinning, saying, "So that's the legendary Force Palm."

Nori nodded and stated, "It's been a while, but seeing one of Lucario's signature moves in action again is certainly satisfying!" Hoopa rubbing his face and adding, "You know, Lucario, every time I saw this in action, I thought it would be extremely devastating to take it in, especially with the way you used it to break Metang's arms."

The dog blinked as Clauncher uttered, "Did you hold back?" the dog shaking his head and remarking, "You know I wouldn't do that," only for Hoopa to gasp, "You didn't!? Wow, I mean, it hurt, but it wasn't really all that special. Maybe you're not as strong as I thought you'd be."

The crowd looked confused as Machoke spat, "IS THAT GUY INSANE!?" Talonflame folding his arms and remarking, "Yeah, I took that move in a few times when training with him and even I felt a good amount of pain from it."

However, Diancie seemed to know something the others did not as she bit her lower lip. Though luckily, this did not get to Lucario as much as everyone thought it would as he shrugged and said, "No matter. Let's just continue the match, shall we?"

Hoopa simply smirked and nodded, replying, "Yes, let's."


	16. Chapter 16

So far, the fight between Lucario and Hoopa seemed like either one's game. Each had landed a few good blows, but neither looked badly hurt.

With that in mind, Lucario held up a defensive stance as Hoopa grinned, saying, "Something you might be interested to know is that while I have no arms, I'm unable to separate my hands from my body. There is a limit to how far they can go."

"Is that so?" Lucario replied with a grin, "That at least rules out the odds of you attacking me from a distance," the genie remarking, "Oh, does it?"

The crowd was confused by this until Hoopa proceeded to snap the two fingers that made up his right hand, saying, "Hat trick," his left hand vanishing as everyone was truly astounded.

Clauncher noticed that very hand appear behind the dog in the form of a fist as she spat, "Lucario, behind you!" but it was too late as the fist flew toward Lucario's back like a rocket, hitting him hard as he winced in pain.

The crowd was truly astounded, but it did not end there as the fist sent the dog toward Hoopa who proceeded to send his right fist into the dog's gut. With that, his left hand finally separated from the dog and returned to its rightful place, Hoopa placing both hands against his side and saying, "As you can see, if my hands were to ever distance themselves from me, they will instinctively return in a matter of seconds. It's like my body is a hand magnet or something like that."

Needless to say, everyone was rather worried about this, especially seeing as Hoopa could magically warp his hands anywhere he wanted, Nori saying, "Well, it seems just like an actual genie, Hoopa has magical powers. I wonder what else he can do."

"Hey, yeah!" Machoke exclaimed with a childish grin, "Maybe he could give me one trillion yen! Or maybe invincibility! Or perhaps he could grant me the power to conjure up food whenever I need it!" Aipom bonking him on the back of the head, grunting, "Focus! The match is still going on!"

"I hate to disappoint you, Machoke," Hoopa said with a light smile, "but I don't grant wishes. That teleportation spell is pretty much the extent of my magical capabilities," the audience looking just as disappointed as Machoke upon hearing this.

However, Lucario saw this as a good thing a she thought, 'Excellent. He won't be able to pull any other fast ones like that. Now that I've seen him use that ability once, I can easily counter it.'

It seemed Hoopa did not realize this fact himself as he snapped his fingers, once again teleporting his hand, only this time it was facing the dog from an angle. But just as Lucario was about to dodge it, it seemed the genie had something else in mind as he swung the side of his head around, flinging the ring attached to his horn and shouting, "DEMONIC RING!"

Lucario and many other people's eyes were wide open. It was not so much the ring being a weapon that surprised everyone but rather the fact that after Hoopa unleashed it, spikes formed around it.

Masquerain's eyes widened with shock as this seemed strangely familiar to her, Lucario taking in the ring to his cheek as a small cut formed. This provided the distraction Hoopa needed as his left fist rammed into Lucario's ribs, returning to the genie's side as the dog knelt down, holding onto that very spot with his teeth gritted.

"Wow, Hoopa is just full of surprises!" Nori exclaimed as Clauncher looked concerned, "Not only can he teleport his fist, but he can even use his ring as a deadly boomerang. However, I'm not one-hundred percent sure if this is legal."

"Wait, what!?" Hoopa remarked, his eyes and mouth wide open as Diancie whimpered, "Oh no, you'll be penalized if it isn't!" the genie now genuinely frightened as Machoke sighed, "I was starting to think he might actually get away with that."

And with that, Nori pulled out the rule book and flipped through it before finding the right page, the audience curious as well until she said, "Yep, it's perfectly fine. As long as the weapon is either attached to the fighter or is an article of clothing, it is perfectly, one-hundred percent legal, therefor the match will be allowed to continue and Hoopa will be allowed to use his ring as a weapon all he wants."

Some members of the crowd were alright with this, but Machoke gritted his teeth and grunted, "Come on, are you kidding me!?" only for Reika to pat him on the shoulder, uttering, "You do remember Gardevoir once used that first jersey you bought her as a weapon against Roserade and didn't get in trouble, right?" the boy blinking and replying, "Oh yeah, that's why I bought her a new one."

Talonflame shrugged his shoulders and remarked, "Lucario probably would have said he was okay with it even if it was a rule violation. If I know him, he'll wanna earn this victory for good, and if his opponent is disqualified, he'll feel beyond cheated. I'd feel the same if that happened to me, so I feel him."

The others nodded in response as Machoke shrugged and replied, "You got a point there," not saying any more than that."

Needless to say, both Lucario and Hoopa were more than happy to have heard this as the genie grinned and said, "Well, that's good to hear, because I have much more I wanna try out on you."

And with that in mind, the genie proceeded to teleport his left fist once again, aiming for Lucario's back. But now the dog truly was ready, Hoopa swinging the side of his head around to prepare his ring.

Clauncher really hoped Lucario had found a way to avoid this by now as Hoopa exclaimed, "DEMONIC RING!" once again flinging it forward, the spikes jutting out again.

However, Lucario was ready as despite the ring being extremely fast, he was still able to sense it as he lifted up his hand. And when it was close enough, he took hold of it before leaping up just high enough so he could balance one foot on top of the incoming fist.

Hoopa's eyes widened as Lucario ignored the fact that grabbing the ring had caused his palm to bleed, waiting for the fist to be closer. And once it was, he proceeded to swing the ring sideways, striking Hoopa's cheek and forcing his head sideways as his eyes were even wider, his jaw dropped.

Diancie clasped her hands over her mouth as Lucario then leapt off of the fist, planting his feet into the genie's skull thus knocking him on his back. The crowd went wild as the ring pried itself out of his hand, returning to its owner.

"So your ring is bound to you as well," the dog stated as he flipped the genie over, grabbing hold of his chin, "It doesn't matter anyway. You can't use it when you're in this position."

The crowd cheered even louder as the dog proceeded to pull hard on the spot he was holding, Hoopa's eyes and mouth still wide open as he cried out in pain, Nori exclaiming, "And Lucario has turned Hoopa's tactic against him and has him set up for a camel clutch! I don't think I've ever seen him use this submission hold before!"

"That's right," Lucario grunted, "Not only was my London Bridge defeated long ago, but the spike that allowed it to work is no longer a part of me. As such, I have studied a variety of submission holds that I feel make for good replacements."

Hoopa's look of pain turned to a wicked smirk as he said, "Not bad, but not good enough," before reaching his hands back. Since they were not attached to arms, this was a lot easier for the genie to pull off as he formed two fists, sending them into the dog's sides.

"Lucario!" Clauncher cried as the dog winced in pain, stilling holding on until Hoopa sent the fists into his sides again. This ultimately caused Lucario to loosen his hold as Hoopa proceeded to grab hold of his ankles, lifting the dog off of him and flipping him one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, slamming his back hard against the mat.

The crowd was once again shocked as Nori said, "Just when you think Lucario has him on the ropes, Hoopa pulls off another amazing comeback. While his hands may be unable to leave him, it seems he can move them anywhere without straining himself since there are no arms binding them in place."

"She's right," Hoopa replied as he rose up, positioning his hands by his side and spinning them like batons, adding, "I can do this with them and not break my wrists," Diancie breathing a sigh of relief. Sure, she knew he could do this, but she was still worried that his back might end up breaking.

However, things might just take a different turn as Nori rang the bell, signalling that five minutes had passed. With that in mind, both Diancie and Clauncher entered the ring, Machoke blinking and saying, "Hey, this is the first time no one actually tagged out before the tornado portion started," Aipom nodding and replying, "I guess it makes sense. Lord knows Lucario's got a strong spirit and if you ask me, that Hoopa seems a little too stubborn to even consider switching with someone else."

"You alright, buddy?" Clauncher asked, helping Lucario up as he nodded and replied, "Yes, I'm fine, but this Hoopa certainly is more of a challenge than I thought he'd be."

Diancie was about to ask Hoopa if he was okay as well until the genie grinned and said, "Now that we can fight together, this match will be even easier," the sylph blushing lightly before nodding and replying, "Yes, we'll win this for sure."

But before either one could do a thing, Lucario was ready to make up for all the pain dealt to him earlier as Clauncher rolled up into a ball, saying, "Let's give our first team attack a shot, eh, buddy?" the dog nodding before reeling his foot back, shouting, "CRUSTACEAN FOOTBALL!" the dog sending said part hard into the lobster as she spun vertically toward Hoopa.

But just as the attack was about to hit, Diancie got in the way and stopped Clauncher with her hands. This ultimately proved ineffective, though, as the force from the hit sent her back into Hoopa, the genie falling on his back as Clauncher leapt away from Diancie, landing on her feet and holding her arms up, shouting, "Ta-dah!"

The crowd went wild as Nori said, "At first, I couldn't help but find that tactic a little too simplistic, but it seems that kick from Lucario had more force than expected as despite blocking the hit, both Diancie and Hoopa still took in damage."

And it did not end there as Lucario leapt toward Clauncher, using one foot to balance on her big claw. Everyone was shocked that the lobster was able to hold him up, but nevertheless, this was not all the Fancy Fighters had planned as she propelled Lucario off of her, the dog holding out his wrist spikes and shouting, "ROYAL JAVELIN!"

Diancie gasped in pain as the spikes pierced her shoulders, the sylph crying out in pain while Clauncher leapt toward Lucario's back, spinning vertically in the form of a ball again. She then rammed herself hard into said spot thus adding to the force and causing Diancie to fall on her back, the crowd cheering heavily.

"Many were confused by this odd pairing at first, but so far, Clauncher seems to be an ideal partner for Lucario!" Nori exclaimed with a grin, "The two have only used two combined moves and already, they're showing incredible results!"

"I'll say," Machoke uttered, "Now I can see why Lucario was so sure about this," Talonflame shrugging and replying, "She's a suitable replacement for me, I guess, but she'll never measure up to my badassery," the falcon flexing with a smirk as Tsuya turned to him with her eyes sparkling, the falcon's eyes wide with panic now.

Reika and Scyther rolled their eyes before cheering for the Fancy Fighters, both of them doing something completely unexpected as they lifted their opponents up. The two then nodded at one-another as Clauncher latched onto Diancie's waist, Lucario wrapping his arms around Hoopa. With that, both proceeded to lift up their opponents and leaned sideways, sending each fighter's back hard into the mat with a backdrop.

"As we all know, Lucario has not been known for using slam moves aside from his father's finishers during that one legendary match," Nori stated, "so to see him use a backdrop is certainly surprising. But honestly, I'm even more surprised that Clauncher can use an ability like that, proving that size doesn't matter."

Cici smiled lightly as this only gave her hope that she could become strong like that someday, Reika uttering, "Now I really can see why Lucario saw her as a great partner. Not only do they work well together, but she's really strong. Diancie's twice as big as she is yet she lifted her up without even breaking a sweat."

But of course, this match was far from over as the Demonic Angels pushed themselves up, neither looking the least bit fazed by any of this. Sure, they had taken in some good hits, but they were certain they could turn this around all the same.

"Well, good to know your partner's no slouch either," Hoopa said with a smirk, "This match just got even more interesting."

With that, the genie turned to Diancie and said, "Well, I've had my moment in the spotlight. It's time you had yours," the sylph nodding with a light smile and replying, "Thank you."

With that, she proceeded to stand up on the tips of her toes, the crowd curious as suddenly, the sides of her dress lifted up, gems similar to the ones on her head emerging from under the material. She then proceeded to twirl toward the Fancy Fighters as she exclaimed, "SUGARPLUM FAIRY SLASH!"

Lucario tried to dodge, but Diancie proved surprisingly fast while twirling and thus managed to strike his midsection with her blades, the dog yowling in pain as a big gash formed. The crowd gasped as Diancie then encased her hands in in the same material used for her gems and sent an onslaught of punches into his face.

Clauncher was just about to rush in and help when Hoopa charged toward her, his left horn aimed at her gut. However, the lobster saw this coming and leapt high above his head, evading the strike and lifting up her claw as it expanded in size.

But just as she was about to send it crashing down upon her opponent's skull, Hoopa snapped his fingers as his left hand vanished once again, this time appearing above the lobster's head. As a result, her attack was halted when the fist came crashing down onto her skull, knocking her hard on her belly.

The crowd was in even more panic, Lucario now holding up his arms to block Diancie's punches, his eyes widening when he turned and saw the position his partner was in. Hoopa took full advantage of Clauncher's state as he floated behind her and sent a barrage of rapid punches into her back. Due to him having no arms, this required no energy from him whatsoever, thus he could keep this up all day.

"The Fancy Fighters started off strong," Nori stated, "but the Demonic Angels have truly turned things around with some devastating abilities!" and it did not end there as Diancie noticed Lucario distracted by his friend's predicament, sprouting a long gem spike from her knee and sending it into the dog's leg.

"OH MY GOD!" Machoke cried as he watched the gem pierce his flesh, sticking out of the other side as blood squirted out, "I'd hate to fight her in a later round!"

And it would only get worse as Lucario dropped his guard, Diancie sending one more punch toward his face. But just as it looked like this one would land, the dog held up his right paw and blocked it, a look of fury in his eyes as a blue aura surrounded him.

Clauncher's eyes widened as she looked up at this, now ignoring the pain to her back. She remembered how during the Olympics, Lucario would go from a fair fighter to a sadist whenever this aura appeared. And back in London, both Amanda and Sarah saw this on TV, Amanda praying that her brother would not lose control of his emotions.

However, unbeknownst to them, ever since Lucario defeated Machoke and restored his family's reputation, he no longer felt that sense of malice whenever this power activated. Instead, he would now use it to help fight for his friends.

With that in mind, he grinned and said, "Don't worry, Clauncher, I got your back," the dog turning his body around and flinging Diancie toward Hoopa. And just before the genie could respond, the sylph wound up flying into his side, both falling hard against the mat while the crowd cheered wildly.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Machoke exclaimed, "There's no way Lucario would go down that easily! Take it from me!" the others just as happy as the boy.

Clauncher gave the dog a weak smile as he calmly walked over to her, reaching out his hand. With that, she held out her claw as the dog took hold of it, helping her up and asking, "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Clauncher replied, "You know it'll take more than that to take down little old me," Hoopa rising back up with fury in his expression. Sure, he wanted a challenge, he wanted victory to feel satisfying, but Lucario's resilience was starting to annoy him now.

Diancie followed suit as the genie turned to her and said, "I think it's high time we end this. What about you?" the sylph nodding.

"Sorry to disappoint, but we won't fall that easily," Lucario retorted as he raced toward Diancie. Just as Hoopa was about to intervene, Clauncher leapt toward him, once again rolled up into a ball as she rammed herself hard into his back.

But just as Diancie was about to counter, Clauncher leapt toward Lucario as he lifted up his arm, taking hold of her tail once was she was close enough. With that, her claw once again expanded in size as the two exclaimed, "CRAB GAVEL!" Lucario swinging her downward thus increasing the force of her trademark Crabhammer.

Diancie's eyes widened as the claw struck her temple hard, the girl coughing up a bit of blood and falling hard on her back. And once again, the crowd went wild as Lucario released his hold on Clauncher, the lobster flying into Hoopa before he could recover from the blow dealt earlier.

"Damn, those two are amazing!" Gallade exclaimed as Talonflame nodded and smirked, saying, "I'd expect no less from Lucario," before thinking, 'Dammit, I think that Clauncher might actually be a better ally for him than I was.'

But just as the Fancy Fighters were ready to end it for good, it seemed Diancie had something else in mind as she placed her hands firmly against the canvas and exclaimed, "GEM GROWTH!"

Lucario was caught off-guard when two gems shot up under his feet, not only putting a hole in each foot but also sending him flying high into the air, his body spinning. Once again, Masquerain could not help but feel suspicious when she saw this.

While she may not have been in the race when this happened, she had seen how Sandslash and Kabutops had fallen. It was when two bright pink rocks seemed to just suddenly appear in the side of the mountain. At first, she believed they must have been in there the whole time and the two heroes had not noticed, but now she could not help but question this.

But just as Clauncher was about to help her ally, Hoopa snapped his fingers, this time causing the ring around his waist to vanish and form high above the canvas. What really shocked everyone was when what appeared to be a vortex formed in the middle, Hoopa flinging the horn around his horn toward Clauncher.

Before the lobster could even respond, the ring managed to slide right under her as another vortex appeared, everyone confused by this as the lobster was pulled into it, emerging from the waist ring and descending toward the mat. With that, Hoopa flew toward her, smirking and saying, "By the way, when I said that teleportation technique was all I had, I lied," wrapping his hands around her and shifting the lobster around so her head was facing the mat.

It seemed Diancie had a similar idea as when Lucario was just high enough with his own head facing the mat, she leapt up to his level and wrapped her arms around him. The crowd could not believe this as Hoopa exclaimed, "HYPERSPACE HOLE!" Diancie shouting, "GEM PILEDRIVER!"

With that, both Fancy Fighters had their skulls slammed hard against the surface, Nori exclaiming, "And both take in really powerful piledrivers! Just when you think the Demonic Angels can't get any more threatening, they surprise us with one new technique after another!"

The crowd was truly mortified now as it seemed Lucario and Clauncher were now struggling to get back up. And it only got worse when Hoopa floated over to Lucario, hurling him on top of Clauncher.

"Now it really is time to end this match," he said with a wicked smirk as Diancie nodded and asked, "Should I use my strongest technique to finish them?"

"Well, of course," Hoopa replied with a big grin as Diancie nodded and started to float. No one could believe what they were looking at as Nori asked, "Wait, she could fly this whole time?"

It seemed there was a reason for this as pink spheres of light circled the sylph's legs, a bright flash surrounding them. And once the light faded, her legs were replaced by a jagged stone. And it seemed the audience was in for even more of a spectacle when cracks surrounded the object, the rock bursting open to reveal a big pink diamond underneath, Diancie floating high above Lucario.

"I think I know exactly what she's trying to do," Reika uttered as Aipom nodded and squeaked, "Those two really need to recover soon."

"No shit they do!" Machoke retorted before getting up and barking, "COME ON, LUCARIO, CLAUNCHER, YOU CAN DO IT!"

With that, the boy started to pump his fist in the air, chanting, "LUCARIO! CLAUNCHER!" repeatedly as soon enough, the rest of the crowd got up and did the same. As impressive as Hoopa and Diancie were combined with the fact that everyone thought they were heroes, everyone still wanted to see the Olympic champion win this match.

Amanda prayed that he could get up from this, Sarah having full confidence in her son. After all, he had recovered from far worse over the past, so there was no way this could take him out for good.

It seemed everyone's support had worked as Lucario slowly opened his eyes, grunting, "No, not yet," but as he struggled to get up, Diancie descended toward him as Hoopa floated up to her level, flipping himself upside-down and placing his hands on her shoulders, speeding up her descent.

With that, both exclaimed, "DIAMOND METEOR!" Lucario unable to get up in time to avoid taking in the stone to his back. It wound up piercing his belly, his eyes and mouth wide open as he held out one arm, twitching and coughing up blood.

And of course, Clauncher wound up taking in pain from this as well as her eyes widened briefly. But soon enough, both Fancy Fighters were out cold as Nori started the ten count.

With the finisher out of the way, Diancie pried herself out of the two and landed on the mat, her legs returning to normal as Hoopa smirked and said, "Yeah, we'll go down in history for this," resting a hand on her shoulder as the crowd stared with concern.

Luckily, the two had not actually killed either hero. After all, that would get them disqualified for sure, hence why Diancie had gone for Lucario's midsection as opposed to his chest. Sure, he had a hole in him now, but it was not big enough to kill him, especially since heroes could handle what most humans could not.

And soon enough, Nori reached the count of ten and rang the bell, exclaiming, "And the victory of the final match of the first round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament goes to the Demonic Angels!"

Needless to say, the crowd seemed upset at first. However, that quickly changed when a young woman said, "Hey, you know, Hoopa and Diancie are pretty cool."

Many were confused until a teenaged boy nodded and replied, "Yeah, they just beat the Hero Olympics champion. I didn't think it was possible," and soon enough, the rest of the crowd seemed to agree, Hoopa grinning wide as Diancie blushed lightly, a big smile on her face as she held her hands up against her cheeks.

"They can't be serious!" Machoke exclaimed, "Hoopa cheated at the start of the match! They should be upset!" Aipom nodding and sighing, "True, but this is the nature of fight fans. The champion going down is not something people can just ignore."

Needless to say, while the crowd was certainly excited about this, Machoke and his friends were not the least bit happy. And of course, neither were Amanda and Sarah, both really hoping Lucario would be okay after taking in such a fierce finisher. Needless to say, Hoopa and Diancie were a true threat and one could only guess what their true intention was for joining this tournament in the first place.


	17. Chapter 17

With the final match finally over with, Lucario and Clauncher were loaded up onto stretchers as Machoke still could not believe what he had seen. Sure, Lucario had lost to Missingno in the Reverse World, but he had also managed to defeat his partner, Absol, beforehand. Even when Talonflame was knocked out, he kept going, and yet not even he had been able to get up from the Demonic Angels' devastating finisher.

As the two were carried out of the area, Machoke trembled and uttered, "Oh god, those two are scary," Aipom nodding and saying, "Yeah, that Hoopa is especially unpredictable. You may have to pay close attention to him."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Talonflame remarked with his teeth gritted, "I'm gonna make sure that punk pays for what he did to my buddy," planting his fist against his palm as Scyther nodded and replied, "Ja, we promise to win this one."

And once the Demonic Angels exited the ring, Nori stated, "Well, that concludes round one of the Ultimate World Team Tournament, folks. As such, the heroes will have two days to prepare themselves for round two. I'm sure many of you don't wanna be late as the chairman will face off against the former champion's son in the first round, so be sure to show up at ten in the morning."

Hawlucha approached Machoke and grinned, saying, "Hey, we need to prepare for our next match, si?" Machoke nodding and replying, "Oh yeah. Beedrill's probably gonna try his best to get back at me for beating him on Hero Planet."

But of course, no one knew the truth as those posing as Beedrill and Butterfree flew out of their seats, nodding at one-another. They had a plan to make sure Machoke would lose his match against them for sure, but just what was it?

And of course, there were also two matters Masquerain planned to solve, the issue with Smeargle and exposing Hoopa and Diancie for the cheaters they were. She would need solid proof, but she fully intended to let the staff know what was going on.

With that in mind, the butterfly rose from her seat and exited the area, Hoopa glancing over at her and nudging Diancie's side. The sylph turned to him as he pointed at Masquerain. He could just tell what she was up to as Diancie nodded, the two following her but also keeping their distance so she would not notice.

All the while, Hawlucha and Machoke were headed down the hall as the two grinned at one-another, the two raising their hands and clasping them together, Hawlucha asking, "So, first thing in the morning?" Machoke nodding and replying, "You got it, partner."

Aipom gave the two a light smile, really happy to see Machoke taking this as seriously as he was. And with that, the duo went their separate ways, Machoke exiting the stadium with Aipom while Hawlucha headed off to rejoin his family. After all, both needed to rest up before they could start training again.

However, with the first round out of the way, Gallade and Hitmonchan wasted no time heading to the hospital to check up on Gardevoir. After all, they were no longer competing and as such, they felt like they may as well use this chance the best they could. And of course, Scyther and her friends headed off to ready themselves as well. All four were to compete in the next round and this was certainly exciting for them.

Luckily, Hawlucha knew where to go to find his family as they had told him where to meet up with them. But just as he was about to do so, a familiar wasp approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder.

The parrot turned and said, "Hola, Senior Beedrill," the wasp nodding and replying, "Yeah, hola yourself. I have something I'd like you to help me find. I figure just 'cause we're competing in the next round doesn't mean we can't help each-other out, right?"

"Si, I agree," Hawlucha replied with a grin before asking, "Do you think it would take a long time?"

"Maybe," 'Beedrill' replied, "It's pretty small, so it will be hard to find," the parrot nodding and pulling out his cellphone, saying, "Gracias. That's all I need to know," sending Isabel a text to let her know that he would be held up and the family could leave the stadium without him if they wanted to.

With all said and done, the wasp led him to an area where only 'Butterfree' was. And once there, Hawlucha smiled and said, "Bien, you got your partner to help us out."

"Yeah, she's gonna help, alright," 'Beedrill' said as he wrapped his arms around the parrot's neck, "Help me give you a considerable beating."

"Que?" the parrot uttered, his eyes wide with shock as 'Butterfree' smirked and said, "By the way, Hawlucha, we're not really Beedrill and Butterfree."

Hawlucha could not believe what he had just heard as the wasp holding him implied a smirk and said, "That's right. We believe that you and Machoke work a little too well together. But here's the thing. We would absolutely love to wipe the floor with that kid and possibly even win this tournament."

"We simply can't have you get in the way of that, now, can we?" 'Butterfree' added, "Luckily for him, fighters are allowed to fight by themselves if they and their teammate made it through the first round, but not even he could possibly stand up to the two of us."

However, all this did was anger Hawlucha as he gritted his teeth, placing a firm grip against the 'Beedrill's' arms, exclaiming, "NO!" before overpowering the wasp and hurling him into his ally. Then before the two could recover, he leapt at them with his arms spread out, shouting, "FLYING PRESS!" his body slammed hard into them.

Both opponents' eyes widened as they seemed to pass out, Hawlucha dusting off his hands and saying, "You two may have gotten the drop on me, but you are nowhere near as tough as the real Beedrill and Butterfree, I can tell you that much."

But just as he was about to head off and find out where the real chairman and his partner had gone, 'Beedrill' slowly rose to his feet and whispered, "Now," 'Butterfree' nodding as the wasp flew toward Hawlucha's back.

'Butterfree' proceeded to plant her legs up against his as 'Beedrill' held his stingers out, the two spinning like a drill and shouting, "TWIN NEEDLE SCREWDRIVER!" the stingers flying hard into the parrot's back as he cried out in pain, blood flying from that very spot.

"I'm surprised the actual fighters couldn't come up with this themselves," 'Beedrill' said with an implied grin as 'Butterfree' nodded and replied, "Yeah, this is awesome."

Soon enough, this shockingly proved too much to bare as soon enough, a big hole was put in Hawlucha's midsection, though much like when Diancie and Hoopa did the same thing to Lucario, they made the hole just small enough so Hawlucha would remain alive. After all, if the parrot died, Machoke and his friends could very well give up on the tournament to hold a funeral for him.

As much as these two imposters wanted to win, they did not wish to win by default. Though whether or not Machoke would have the courage to face them alone was a whole other deal that the two seemed to overlook.

Suddenly, a voice entered the area, exclaiming, "Is someone there!?" the two winking at one-another as 'Beedrill' knelt down to Hawlucha with a look of concern on his face, 'Butterfree' clearing her throat before asking, "Is he going to be okay?" a staff member entering the area and gasping.

He then ran over and asked, "Mister Chairman, what's going on here?" 'Beedrill' replying, "We found this boy unconscious. It looks like he might have been attacked."

"Right, I'll call for an ambulance right away," the staff member replied with a nod before pulling out his cellphone and doing just that.

This could not have been more perfect. 'Beedrill' and 'Butterfree' had applied more than enough force to guarantee Hawlucha would be stuck in the hospital until at least the start of round two and they were almost certain Machoke would want to at least honour him by fighting them, even if he had no choice but to do it alone.

And soon enough, Hawlucha was carried out on a stretcher, still out like a light. As it just so happened, his family had decided to stay and wait for him to exit the stadium, so they were right by the entrance to see this very sight and needless to say, all three humans panicked upon seeing this.

"Hermano!" Isabel cried as she ran over, Lea following suit and asking, "What happened? Is he okay?"

Hawlucha's mother stared wide-eyed at this, one of the men taking him to the ambulance, sighing, "We believe he was attacked by someone. No one knows who it was, but whatever they did, they certainly pulled a number on him."

Isabel nodded and said nothing else, a look of both fury and sadness on her face as the mother sighed, "At least he's still alive. That's the important thing."

During this time, Masquerain was headed to the hotel she and Florges were staying at. She had everything planned out for the next two days. Not only would she find evidence proving that Hoopa and Diancie were cheaters but come round two, she would confront Smeargle and give him a piece of her mind.

But just as she got close to the building, she noticed a familiar hand appear right in front of her face, her eyes widening as it balled up into a fist, striking her hard and knocking her on her back. And sure enough, it returned to its owner, namely Hoopa, who smirked and tauntingly asked, "Oh, sorry, did my hand run into you? It does that sometimes."

Diancie stood by his side as Masquerain quickly leapt back up to her feet, scowling and grunting, "What are you two doing here!?" Diancie sighing, "Look, I don't wanna have to resort to this, but you're clearly a threat to our plans."

"Exactly," Hoopa replied with a smirk, "So we're gonna shut you up for good."

"And how do you intend to do that!?" the butterfly retorted as Diancie sighed, "Forgive us for this, but it's for the best that we silence you forever."

With that in mind, the diamond on the sylph's necklace glowed as Masquerain flew toward the two with her arms ready for a double hook. However, just as she was about to strike, gems shot out of the necklace at a rapid pace, moving in and out of the diamond like fists flying as Diancie shouted, "DIAMOND STORM!"

Masquerain's attack was halted as she took in multiple blows all over, her face already bleeding. And just as it looked like that was it, Hoopa folded his hands and said, "Now, Diancie," the sylph's onslaught coming to an end as she exclaimed, "DIAMOND HORN!" the gem on her forehead stretching out and becoming thinner until it resembled a big spike, the sylph headed toward Masquerain.

The butterfly instinctively turned her head to the side and held her hands up defensively only for the gem to pierce both hands, jabbing the side of her head as a hole formed. As if that was not bad enough, the material had actually cracked open a part of her skull and stabbed her brain. Luckily, it was not enough to kill her, but it still seemed to have an effect as her eyes shot wide open, stuck in the same position as she fell on her side.

"Wow, that turned out better than expected," Hoopa uttered as Diancie nodded and said, "I got the idea from some old footage I saw as a kid. It was the moment that almost caused Greninja to retire."

She remembered exactly what she saw on TV that day when she was ten. In the footage, the blue frog ninja was up against a dark-blue woman named Cloyster. She had a pearl-shaped head, a horn like that of a unicorn on her forehead, a slender build that made it look like she was wearing spandex and a spiked oyster shell with each half used as a shield and blunt weapon in each hand.

Greninja had a bit of trouble during this match, but eventually found a way around her iron-clad defence, delivering multiple hits to her head. However, just as it seemed like she would win, Cloyster managed to once again overpower her, ultimately ending the match by planting her horn into the ninja's skull. As a result, Greninja suffered extreme brain damage and spent a good number of months in a vegetative state. Had she not been a hero, it would not have been nearly as easy for her to recover from that, and yet even by those standards, the fact that she had recovered at all was seen as a true miracle.

Diancie chose to use less force and thus it was more likely that Masquerain could recover from this, but one thing was for certain. She would, at the very least, be out of commission for the rest of the tournament and thus Hoopa and Diancie both nodded and headed off, but not before the sylph pulled out a cellphone to report the unconscious body. She simply could not bring herself to leave a brain-dead person in the middle of the sidewalk, enemy or not.

As it just so happened, Florges was on her way back to the hotel right now. She had spent a great deal of time by Gardevoir's side until the girl's parents ultimately convinced her that she needed to enjoy herself more. After all, when would she have a reason to come to Tokyo again? Not to mention Gardevoir would not have wanted her to spend the whole time in a hospital anyway.

But when she arrived, she gasped at the sight of her friend passed out with a dopey expression on her face and a hole in the side of her head. As such, she ran over to her just as an ambulance had arrived, two people coming out as one of them asked, "Is this the patient?"

Florges breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Merci beaucoup. I don't know who called you, but it's great that you're here."

It was normal for lots of heroes to wind up in the hospital during a tournament, but this was getting ridiculous. Masquerain had not even made it to the tournament and yet she still wound up hospitalized. It was at this moment that Florges could no longer deny it. Her friend was right all along. Someone had sabotaged them, and the flower girl had no doubt in her mind that whoever had done that was also responsible for Masquerain's condition.

With that, she watched her friend as she was loaded up into the vehicle, thinking, 'I won't stand around any longer, Masquerain. If I had taken action and joined you, this never would have happened. I'll make sure that whoever did this is caught and booted out of the tournament and I'll even have a talk with Smeargle. Oui, I'll do everything you set out to do.'

Machoke, meanwhile, was still resting up as Aipom was in the middle of preparing dinner, smiling and saying, "I have to say, Machoke, you chose yourself a really good ally. You two were incredible today," Machoke nodding and saying, "Yeah. Hawlucha's awesome."

However, it was at this moment his cellphone started to ring. The boy picked it up and noticed the call was from Hawlucha's phone, a grin forming as he immediately answered, asking, "Hey, Hawlucha, what's up?"

He was shocked to hear not Hawlucha's voice but rather Isabel's, the girl saying, "Apenado, Senior Machoke. See, Hawlucha has your number, so I'm using his cell to call you right now."

The boy blinked before nodding and replying, "Okay, that's cool. So, what do you wanna talk about?" as Isabel sighed, "Well, I have some bad news."

She mentioned how Hawlucha was attacked and suffered heavy damage to his midsection, Machoke's eyes wide with terror. And his expression only got worse as Isabel went into further detail, talking about how her brother's condition was so bad that he would be comatose for at least a week, or at least that was what the doctors figured.

"Are you sure about that!?" Machoke retorted as Aipom stared at him, asking, "What is it?" the boy holding up a finger as tears welled up in Isabel's eyes, anger in her expression as she said, "Apenado, Machoke. I really thought you two could make it through the tournament, but Hawlucha has no choice but to drop out now. I'm gonna go look for whoever did this to him."

"You really shouldn't do that," Machoke uttered, "What if the culprit's someone like us?" the girl retorting, "Don't worry, I'm not going to fight the one who did this, but I want to at least be able to identify the culprit so I can get help from a hero," the boy breathing a sigh of relief. At least the girl was thinking logically.

The two talked for a bit more, Isabel adding that she would be certain to attend his match even if she did not find the culprit before then. After all, she knew Hawlucha would want her and the rest of the family to be there to support him.

The two said a quick goodbye as Machoke hung up, sighing as Aipom tapped his shoulder with her tail hand, asking, "Something wrong?" the boy shrugging and replying, "Nothing to really concern yourself with," as he got up and added, "I think I'm gonna go check up on Gardevoir in the hospital."

"Oh, okay," Aipom replied with a light smile, "But remember, come tomorrow, you and Hawlucha will undergo considerable training."

"Yeah, that's right," Machoke uttered with a nervous laugh before exiting the house, a look of sheer terror on his face as he thought, 'Oh my god, what am I gonna do!? I can't fight two opponents at once!'

But even so, he did at least intend on going to the hospital, not just to check up on Gardevoir but also Hawlucha. He just could not believe it. Not only was the attack itself sudden, but to think someone was powerful enough to deal that much damage to Hawlucha. Whoever did this had to have been insanely powerful.

But as the boy walked, he heard a familiar Irish voice saying, "Hey, Machoke. I was hoping I'd run into you at some point today."

The boy turned as sure enough, there stood Golduck waving at him while still wearing her custom-made T-shirt with Machoke's face and the words 'Machoke Rocks' written under it. Seeing this, the boy smiled lightly and walked over to her, asking, "Hey, Golduck. Just looking around the neighbourhood?"

"Yeah, pretty much," the duck replied, "Seeing as I'm not in the tournament, there's not much else to do during downtime. I'd hang out with Abomasnow right now, but he said he needed to head home right away. Apparently, there's a family emergency."

"So even if you had made it to the tournament, you'd be minus a partner," Machoke uttered as the duck sighed, "Yeah, and to be honest, I'm actually kind of surprised he even agreed to join me."

The boy looked confused as Golduck continued, "See, we're childhood friends, but, well, he's never been the most social. I'm one of the few who can tolerate him as he's often too busy to spend time with friends. Becoming a hero has allowed him to at least bond with his ally all the way in Alaska, but when it comes to his old friends, he can barely make time."

"So this is common," Machoke replied as Golduck nodded, a smile forming as she stated, "Well, at least I can still watch you kick ass in the next round, eh?"

Machoke chuckled lightly. It was so hard to believe that Golduck had a grudge against him before he defeated her in the Olympics. Now she was his biggest fan.

However, his chuckle turned to a low sigh as he groaned, "Well, you might not see a lot of ass-kicking from me. I'm gonna be fighting alone," Golduck's eyes wide open as the boy continued, "See, Hawlucha was attacked and apparently, he'll be unable to fight for a whole week."

Much like when Hawlucha had mentioned needing a partner, Golduck immediately saw an opportunity as she took hold of Machoke's hands, looking deep into his eyes and saying, "I'll do it."

"Wait, what?" Machoke remarked, staring at her with confusion as she grinned and squealed, "I'll be your partner! It's perfectly legal! If one hero's partner in a Team Tournament is unable to fight, he or she can pick another hero to take the injured hero's place!"

The boy stared in stunned silence, surprised that he had not come to this realization. A big grin then formed on his face as he shook the duck's hands, exclaiming, "I'm sure we'll make a great team!"

And that was that. Golduck and Machoke would fight together in round two. Needless to say, neither could have been more grateful as not only did Machoke have someone to help him throughout the rest of the tournament but Golduck had a chance to compete in the event as well.

But of course, before the day was done, Machoke still had to go to the hospital, Golduck agreeing to join him. After all, if they were to be allies, the duck would need to take interest in what was going on in his personal life. Machoke assured her he was okay if she would have rather done her own thing, but she insisted.

And soon enough, the two arrived and headed to where Gardevoir and Blaziken were still out cold. As it just so happened, Gardevoir's family had left just a little while ago, knowing that the girl would not want them to spend the whole time worrying about her.

As Machoke stood by Gardevoir's bed, he had a serious look in his eyes as he said, "If I end up facing Smeargle in the third round, I'll do my best to knock some sense into him. I promise you that," the boy leaning down and kissing her forehead, Golduck smiling and resting a hand on his shoulder.

And unlike when he promised to avenge Scyther's loss to Ninetales in the Olympics, he was fully confident that he could do this. Sure, he may not have been the most mature of all heroes, but Machoke had gotten over a lot of his old fears in the past, and that included facing tough opponents. After all, he had almost died when he fought Giratina over a year ago, and right now, facing Smeargle in his current state seemed like nothing in comparison to facing the old dragon.


	18. Chapter 18

For the next two days, all of the teams were busy getting ready for the second round of the tournament. All the while, Florges was in search of the ones who had put Masquerain out of commission, fully intent on bringing them to justice. After all, with the condition they had put the butterfly in, there was a chance she would never be able to fight evil again.

During this time, only Aipom knew of Machoke's new partnership with Golduck. The two actually wanted this to be a surprise to everyone else, though it was not so much Machoke's idea but rather Golduck's. She figured it would make for a grand spectacle.

Of course, this also meant Machoke would need a new team name. After all, 'Flying Muscles' would not go well with Golduck and her lack of wings. As for what they came up with in the end, that was soon to be revealed.

The time seemed to fly by as the next round came, the Tokyo Dome once again full. Reika and her friends had come early to get front-row seats along with the others. Gallade and Hitmonchan had also arrived to support Machoke and Hawlucha, Aipom keeping her promise not to reveal his new teammate.

But of course, before the first match could begin, Florges was wandering the halls in search of Smeargle and Vespiquen. After all, she knew they would have to be here today. She may not have found out who had given Masquerain brain damage but she was certain she could at least do this much by the end of the day.

And after quite a bit of searching, she noticed the beagle with his bee companion, the two headed toward the arena. And just as the flower girl thought, Smeargle still had his three tails.

It seemed things might be a little easier for her as Vespiquen said, "Wait here, Smeargle. I need to use the lady's room," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui. I shall wait for you, Mademoiselle."

Seeing a kind smile on his face did give Florges a bit of hope. Perhaps he had not lost his kind nature after all and his behaviour during the match with the Fiery Beauties was a one-time thing.

With that in mind, she smiled lightly and approached him, saying, "Bonjour, Monsieur Smeargle," the beagle turning with a smile of his own and saying, "Bonjour to you two," the two hugging and kissing each-other on the cheek.

This helped Florges feel even more at ease as she said, "I hope you do a good job in today's match. You really surprised moi yesterday," the beagle nodding as he grinned, replying, "Oui, I never knew I could be so powerful!"

"About that," Florges uttered, biting her lower lip, "I am actually quite glad that you've discovered this new power. I always told you that you had what it took deep within, and it's tres bien that I was right, but don't you think you might have been a little too hard on Gardevoir? She's your best friend, non?"

Smeargle blinked and uttered, "Quoi?" the flower girl sighing, "Look, she's still in the hospital right now and hasn't woken up yet. You really pulled a number on her."

The beagle shockingly did not look fazed by this, but why? Surely the fact that his best friend had been that badly injured, and by him no less, would have had some kind of effect on him.

And yet despite that, he looked unfazed as he folded his arms, replying, "Well, that's what she gets for underestimating moi," Florges staring in absolute shock.

And her fears would only heighten as the green aura that had formed during the match appeared. As if that was not enough, the beagle had a look of frustration on his face.

"I understand," Florges sighed, "I told her not to go easy on you, so I wish she hadn't done that either, but even so, she was just trying to help you perform better to boost your confidence. Surely you realize that."

"Oui, I know exactly what she was doing," Smeargle retorted, "And that's what pisses moi off so much! She felt that the only way I could do a bien job was if she went light on moi! As if that's not enough, you're taking her side!"

"Quoi!?" Florges retorted as the beagle grunted, "Can't you be happy pour moi!? Can't you be glad that I've finally discovered my true potential!? In fact, you've all been against moi, haven't you!?"

"I don't think you realize what you're-" Florges uttered only for the beagle to grit his teeth, growling, "You, Gardevoir, even our human friends at home, you never believed in moi! In fact, I'm willing to bet the only reason you stood back and let moi lose every fight was just so you could learn how my opponents fought, not because you honestly believed I could beat them!"

"But I asked you to be my teammate!" Florges retorted with a look of annoyance on her face, "Why would I turn to you if I didn't have confidence in you!"

"I don't know," Smeargle remarked, "Perhaps because I'd make a good living shield for you? I mean, the top of my head kind of looks like a shield, don't you think?"

"You are so immature right now!" the flower girl snapped as the beagle folded his arms and smirked, remarking, "You're just jealous because right now, I'm a better fighter than you could ever hope to be."

Florges' eyes and mouth were wide open as Vespiquen returned, both she and Smeargle headed toward the arena. In truth, she had actually finished her business in the bathroom in time to witness his breakdown, and needless to say, seeing him turn against the very being she believed would prevent him from reaching his true state made her beyond pleased. She had truly picked herself a winner.

And sure enough, everyone was ready for the first match to begin, and this was certainly a highly-anticipated one. After all, the hero who had saved the world from Giratina and Hero Planet's chairman would be going at it.

And with that, Nori took a seat and exclaimed, "Welcome, everyone, to the second round of the Ultimate World Team Tournament! We've had an exciting first round, but I can bet this one will be ever better!" the crowd cheering wildly.

Aipom bit her lower lip, Keiko asking, "Something wrong?" the monkey shaking her head and replying, "No, I'm just worried Machoke might do something stupid again."

"You need to stop overreacting to his entrances," Keiko stated, "If anything, they give him a boost in confidence. Heck, Machamp wasn't that much different back in the day."

The monkey tapped her chin with her tail hand and nodded, saying, "You know, you actually have a point there. Besides, I guess it is better to see him put effort into an entrance than freak out over how strong his opponent is."

With that, Nori was ready now as she pointed at the Western entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, these two have dominated the combination of Serperior and Arbok and are sure to continue to amaze us today!" Isabel hearing this from the crowd while thinking, 'She talks as if Hawlucha is still there with Machoke, but that can't be right.'

"Both these heroes possess incredible strength and spirit!" Nori continued, "All of you, give a warm welcome to-" her eyes widening as she looked at the sheet of paper before her, uttering, "The Aquatic Muscles?"

Everyone was rather confused as they noticed Machoke headed toward the ring by himself, everyone staring in confusion as Nori blinked and said, "Oh, right, I completely forgot, but almost immediately after the first round ended, Hawlucha was attacked and suffered extreme injuries! He must still be in the hospital recovering!"

Aipom blinked and thought, 'Wait, where's Golduck?' the rest of the crowd in panic. Sure, it was commendable that Machoke would be willing to face two opponents at once, but at the same time, not even he would be able to handle that, right? But of course, the audience did not know the truth.

"Wait, what!?" Gallade spat, "Why didn't he tell anyone!? I would have gladly volunteered!" Hitmonchan nodding and adding, "I'm sure you would have kicked ass too!"

"Oh my!" Octillery gasped from the crowd, "If I wasn't still in the tournament, I would have taken that nice parrot's place," Kecleon sighing, "This is just depressing."

Hoopa looked beyond peeved as he spat, "WHO DID IT!? WHO WAS THE ONE WHO BEAT UP HAWLUCHA!? I'LL KILL HIM!" Diancie patting him on the shoulder as even those around him stared with confusion. After all, only Diancie knew just how much the genie wanted to fight Machoke.

He then glared at Vespiquen who shrugged, making it very clear that she had nothing to do with this. Sure, she may not have known as well as Diancie how much Hoopa wanted Machoke to advance to the finals, but she did have a feeling that might be the case.

Talonflame was the only one who did not seem worried as he smirked and said, "Come on, guys, have a little faith. I'm sure Machoke can handle these two. He beat me, right?" Scyther sighing, "Still, two against one isn't exactly ideal."

Both 'Beedrill' and 'Butterfree' watched this from the Eastern entrance, snickering wickedly. It seemed like their plan had worked. That was until Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "NOW!"

And sure enough, the team name now made sense as Golduck performed a somersault toward the ring, Machoke leaping up and reaching his arms up to grab hold of her hands. Unfortunately, he ended up jumping too high as their foreheads connected, both falling flat on their stomachs as the crowd broke out into hysterics.

Aipom slapped her forehead and groaned, "He delayed her entrance for that?" Reika staring at the monkey and remarking, "Did you know about this!?"

"Well, clumsy entrance aside, it would seem Machoke has found himself a replacement partner," Nori stated, "Though it definitely would have been nice to have been informed of this ahead of time."

Golduck and Machoke slowly rose to their feet, rubbing their foreheads and grinning at one-another before climbing into the ring, the crowd now back to feeling excited. Some of them remembered just how intense the match between these two heroes was back in the Olympics and thus the thought of them fighting together was truly something.

Both of their opponent stared in horror at the sight of this, neither believing it. How had they not realized how many friends Machoke had? If anything, they should have seen this coming.

But while those two were mortified by this turn of events, Hoopa could not have been more relieved. Sure, he knew little about Golduck, but as long as Machoke had a partner, he was confident that he could very well get his match with the boy.

At that moment, a staff member approached Nori and handed her a sheet of paper, saying, "I was told not to give this to you until after the entrance," the announcer nodding and looking it over, saying, "Okay, apparently, the reason they didn't say anything about this was because they wanted it to be a surprise. Well, that's understandable. It certainly worked."

"I'll say," Gallade uttered, "I'm kinda hoping they can do it. I remember Golduck needing water to even put up a really good fight, yet I don't see any that she can use."

"Oh my god, I had completely forgotten about that!" Aipom squeaked with panic in her expression, "She's predictable without her water powers!" Keiko sighing, "I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, she has a great partner."

And with that, the crowd started to calm down as Nori pointed at the Eastern entrance, stating, "And in the red corner, we've got two bugs who have proven themselves quite powerful so far. The chairman of Hero Planet and a former villain working together as one, give a round of applause for the Flying Terrors!"

The crowd cheered wildly as 'Beedrill' and 'Butterfree' flew toward the ring, performing a figure-eight in the air before landing gracefully. 'Beedrill' had his arms folded as 'Butterfree' whispered, "What now?" the wasp replying, "It's okay. The real Beedrill and Butterfree have strong abilities. I'm sure we can win this without exposing ourselves."

During this time, it had actually been a while since the real Beedrill and Butterfree had recovered. For the last couple of days, they had tried desperately to free themselves. However, they were starting to feel weak, not only from the strain they had put on themselves but also the lack of nourishment. It truly seemed like these imposters might just get away with their plan after all.

"Dammit!" Beedrill grunted, breathing heavily, "How could I be so stupid!? I swore to myself I'd make a much better chairman than my father, and yet look at me! Falling for such an obvious trick!" Butterfree sighing, "Look, I'm just as embarrassed as you are, but come on, your dad barely did a thing as chairman. He made a few orders and some really bad decisions."

The wasp blinked as the butterfly added, "You did what no Hero Planet chairman has ever done. You took action when the world was in danger. You turned me to the side of good. Not only that, but you even won a fight in a tournament. Has Weedle ever done anything like that?" Beedrill blinking and uttering, "You're right. He hasn't."

"Yeah, now stop beating yourself up," Butterfree said with a light smile, "We'll get out of this, I'm sure of it. We just need to think up a new approach, and if that doesn't work we'll think of a new one and keep going until we're free from our chains."

Back in the arena, Machoke and Golduck were discussing who should go first, the boy saying, "It has been a while for you. Are you sure you don't wanna go?" the duck nodding and replying, "Yeah, you and Beedrill have history, right? I'm sure if anything, he'll want to take a stab at you first, right?"

"That's true," Machoke replied with a nod as Golduck got behind the rope. But much to their surprise, 'Butterfree' was the one who volunteered to go first, but why? She had no connection to Machoke.

Whatever the case, the decision had already been made as Nori rang the bell, signalling the start of the match. And with that, Machoke got on the defensive as 'Butterfree' rose up from the canvas, flapping her wings and saying, "Machoke, to face someone of your stature is a true honour. I just hope you're not too rough on me," the butterfly winking at him as he winced, uttering, "Oh god, that's creepy."

And while the others were just as freaked out by this as Machoke was, Kecleon and Mawile both stared in confusion, Mawile uttering, "Since when did Butterfree use flirtation against her opponents?" Kecleon adding, "Forget that. Even she knows Machoke's dating Gardevoir. Why would she try that?"

The butterfly did not seem to hear this as she flew toward Machoke with her skull pointed at his chest only for the boy to wrap his arms around himself. And when 'Butterfree' rammed up against him, he ended up taking in no pain as the crowd cheered, the boy shifting to the offensive and sending a hard punch to her face, the butterfly backing up with a look of shock.

"You saw it yourselves, folks!" Nori exclaimed, "Machoke has used that infamous Mach Cover technique that he used to lower Lucario's guard in the Olympic finals!" Talonflame exclaiming, "Aw yeah! Just because Lucario found its weaknesses doesn't mean it's not useful!"

Hoopa blinked and uttered, "I completely forgot he had that," Diancie nodding and replying, "Well, it makes sense. He only used that ability in public once, right?"

And the reason for this was exactly as Talonflame said. Much like Lucario's London Bridge, now that most of the world knew how to counter the Mach Cover, he could no longer rely on it as much as he would have liked to, much like how he did not use his Muscle Tombstone as much as he used to ever since Talonflame reminded the world of its weakness.

And it seemed the boy had more planned as he sent his elbow hard into 'Butterfree's' gut, grabbing hold of her legs, lifting her up and throwing his arms downward, slamming her back hard against the mat. The crowd was even more pumped now as Nori exclaimed, "And Machoke is off to an incredible start! But can Butterfree turn this around like she did when Magnemite and Squirtle dominated her?"

"Yeah, that's a good point," 'Beedrill' grunted, "You remember how you got out of that predicament, right?" winking at her as the butterfly nodded and started to rise up.

However, Machoke would not make this too easy as he leapt at her with his elbow raised, but 'Butterfree' was ready as she lifted her feet up, ramming them into that very spot. The crowd was surprised when her feet actually proved enough to block the elbow drop and thus Machoke leapt away from 'Butterfree' with a grin on his face, saying, "Good. I would have been disappointed if this ended up being too easy."

The crowd was truly impressed as Aipom let down a light tear, sniffing, "I never thought I'd hear those words from him," Reika nodding and saying, "Guess it's not as intimidating when he fights a friend or someone he can trust, right?" Keiko nodding and replying, "Yep, Machamp was the same. The only opponents he was never afraid of were his friends."

Golduck was just so happy right now. Machoke was performing just as well as she had hoped, but 'Butterfree' intended to change that as she soared toward him, spinning as a twister formed around her body, the butterfly shouting, "WHIRLWIND!"

Machoke tried to block this only for 'Butterfree' to smirk and redirect the attack toward his face, striking him hard as this sent him flying back into the turnbuckle, some members of the crowd cheering for 'Butterfree' as Nori exclaimed, "And much like with Squirtle, Butterfree makes up for all the damage dealt to her with her powerful Whirlwind!"

And she did not wish to end it there as she sent a hard two-legged kick to the boy's face, Golduck asking, "Want me to take over, Machoke?"

Sure, she was a big fan of his, but even she knew victory would not be easy for him. After all, when he defeated her, she had come really close to beating him, and she was not the only opponent to bring him that close to defeat either, so she knew he would need her help at some point or another.

With that in mind, Machoke nodded and rose his hand only for 'Butterfree' to latch onto his arm, pulling him away from the turnbuckle as the crowd gasped. Sure, the butterfly may have been a former villain, but no one would have expected her to resort to such tactics, Nori stating, "And just as it looked like Machoke was ready to tag in his partner, Butterfree prevented him from doing it! She clearly wants him all to herself!"

However, what probably shocked the audience most of all, especially Machoke and his friends was that Beedrill actually seemed happy with this. Was this really the same chairman who wanted to make up for his former life of villainy? This seemed rather dirty for someone like that.

And it would only get worse from there as 'Butterfree' smirked and used just enough force to fling Machoke toward the ropes, the boy unable to stop himself as Aipom spat, "MACHOKE, LOOK OUT!" 'Beedrill' holding out his stingers while making it look like they were not actually aimed at the boy.

And sure enough, Machoke made a connection as the stingers pierced his shoulders, 'Butterfree' flying toward him while spinning and shouting, "WHIRLWIND!" striking him hard in the back as he coughed up a bit of blood, the stingers now having gone all the way through him.

"MACHOKE!" Golduck spat as Aipom bit her lower lip, screeching, "COME ON, THAT WAS SO UNFAIR!" Reika nodding and barking, "Hey, Nori, that's gotta be against the rules!"

The rest of the crowd was in an uproar as well. To think the Hero Planet chairman would resort to such underhanded tactics. And to make it worse, he actually had a means of justifying this as he implied a smirk with his eyes and said, "Hate to break it to you, girl, but this is perfectly legal. I haven't entered the ring therefor I'm still following the rules."

The crowd was still mortified by this as Nori nodded and stated, "He's actually half-right," the wasp thinking, 'Only half?' as the announcer continued, "As long as he stays on his side of the ring, he's allowed to provide assistance for his partner granted the opponent is close enough, but he can only do so for ten seconds, meaning he must remove his stingers from Machoke right now if he and his teammate would rather not be disqualified."

'Dammit,' 'Beedrill' thought as he shrugged his shoulders and did just that, Machoke wincing from the intense pain and uttering, "Why would you do that? I thought you were good."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still on the side of good," 'Beedrill' replied with a shrug, "But I'm also serious about winning this match. Besides, villains fight like this all the time. If we held back and went all soft, they could walk all over us."

While the crowd seemed reassured, Machoke's friends including Nori could not help but find this suspicious. After all, Talonflame had used this exact same logic to justify his brutality before he was revealed to be a villain at the time and Lucario had used that as an excuse to destroy Metang's hands when the two fought in the Olympics. And in both of those instances, it had been a bad sign with no one noticing until it was too late to repair the damage that had already been done.

Even so, Golduck smirked and said, "Come on, Machoke, you can overcome this, right?" the boy nodding and replying, "Yeah, I can," before swinging his arm back and sending it hard into 'Butterfree's' face.

This distracted her just long enough for the boy to race over to Golduck, tagging her in as Nori exclaimed, "And just as it looked like Machoke might not get his chance, he has managed to tag in his partner!"

"Wait, is this really such a good thing?" Gallade uttered as the others turned to him, the boy adding, "Remember when Golduck fought? She started off strong but ultimately needed water to stand as much of a chance as she did against Machoke. And even then, he was able to work past that. It wasn't until she flooded the fight area that she actually became a serious threat."

"Oh yeah," Reika uttered, "She doesn't have a lot in the way of non-water based techniques, does she?" Keiko nodding and groaning, "If I knew Golduck was gonna be his ally for this match, I would brought a water bottle or something!"

The others then slowly turned to Aipom, the monkey whimpering, "Oh god, that actually would have been a good idea!" rubbing her hands vigorously against her head as her friends face-palmed.

However, Golduck smirked and gave Aipom thumbs up, saying, "Don't worry about it. Ever since that day Machoke defeated me, I've been working hard to become better at normal combat. True, I'll never be as good at this as I am when using my water powers, but I still feel like I can do this."

But while that certainly sounded hopeful, had she really gotten as good as she said she had? She would certainly need to if she and Machoke were to win this match.


	19. Chapter 19

Note: Interesting thing to note is that the colour given to Ditto's sister, Ditta is based off of the old Pokemon card in which Ditto was, in fact, purple for whatever reason.

Now with Golduck taking Machoke's place, no one knew exactly how this would go. Sure, Golduck was no slouch. After all, she did manage to make it to the second round of the Hero Olympics. But at the same time, she only stood a chance because both times, she had lots of water to manipulate with the gem on her forehead. With none of that present in the area, would she really stand much of a chance?

Hoopa certainly hoped so as he narrowed his eyelids, grumbling, "She'd better be a good replacement for Hawlucha! I want my fight with Machoke!" Diancie nodding as she looked closely at 'Beedrill' and 'Butterfree', whispering, "You know, something seems off about those two. Do you know of any other villains in this tournament?"

"Aside from Vespiquen, no," Hoopa replied, "Heck, I don't know any villains who could even dawn disguises like that and make it work. But if there are others out there trying to take down Machoke, I'll make them pay."

"You know Vespiquen may end up fighting him in round three, right?" the sylph remarked as the genie's eyes widened.

Golduck rushed at 'Butterfree' as 'Beedrill' asked, "Hey, you feel up to this?" the butterfly nodding and replying, "Yeah, I've seen the footage of her fight against Machoke. She's a joke without water."

With that in mind, she managed to dodge with incredible ease when the duck started to send an onslaught of palm punches at her. But just as it seemed the butterfly might be able to perform even better than when she went up against Machoke, her eyes widened as the duck managed to perform a perfect roundhouse to her side while still sending palm punches out, landing a few on her before she backed up.

The crowd cheered as Nori stated, "And Golduck successfully uses a tactic I didn't think could work so well. It seems those palm punches were a distraction so Butterfree would not notice her leg coming straight for her."

But rather than feeling intimidated, 'Butterfree' seemed more annoyed right now as she turned to 'Beedrill' and snapped, "Dude, what the hell!? Why didn't you say anything!?" the wasp retorting, "For your information, I didn't even notice she was doing that!"

The others stared as Hitmonchan uttered, "Wait, is this normal for them?" the others shrugging as 'Butterfree' sighed, "You're right. I'm expecting too much. Sorry, br-uddy! Yeah, buddy, cause you're my pal," winking at him while making a clicking sound with her mouth.

"Okay, that was a little suspect," Tsuya uttered as Aipom shrugged and replied, "Well, they do seem to have a strong connection. Maybe that's it."

With that out of the way, the butterfly flew toward Golduck, this time feeling ready until the duck smirked and ducked under her. 'Butterfree's' eyes widened in terror as Golduck lifted up her arms, grabbing hold of the bug's legs and using the same tactic Machoke had used to slam her on her back.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And after a rocky start, Golduck is doing a rather good job holding her own!"

'She's right,' 'Butterfree' thought as she immediately rose to her feet, flying over to Beedrill and tagging him in. Seeing this, Machoke smiled and held out his hand, exclaiming, "Tag me in!"

"You sure?" Golduck asked, "You took in a lot of damage back there," the boy nodding and replying, "Both of us have been waiting for this rematch, so yeah."

However, Golduck was unsure of this, as were Machoke's other friends. For whatever reason, it seemed as if 'Beedrill' did not even know about this, but the boy seemed fully confident. Not only that, but he had actually fought the wasp before, so he at least knew this opponent's techniques.

As such, the duck tagged him in and said, "Alright, I know you'll do a good job anyway," the two switching as Nori said, "That has to be the shortest amount of time between a tag that I've ever seen. Golduck only landed a few hits and is already trusting Machoke to carry the team further. I'll say this, she certainly has a lot of confidence in him."

While many of Machoke's friends did not look too worried, Cici, Reika and Aipom were unsure of this. Something just felt off about this whole thing, not just because of how 'Beedrill' was acting but because even 'Butterfree' was not acting completely like herself.

Even so, the match had to continue and thus, 'Beedrill' wasted no time flying toward Machoke with his stingers pointed outward. But just as it looked like he would pierce him again, Machoke threw his arms out and grabbed the incoming stingers, grinning and saying, "Come on, you should know how easy this is to counter."

With that, Machoke leaned back and released his hold on the wasp, sending him flying head-first into the turnbuckle as the crowd cheered, Gallade clapping and shouting, "Oh my god, that's the first move Machoke ever used!"

"If that's the case, why didn't Beedrill see that coming?" Talonflame remarked as the others turned to him with looks of confusion. That was certainly a good question, and Aipom could not help but feel ashamed of herself for having not thought of it first.

Whatever the case, it looked like things truly had improved for the Aquatic Muscles as Machoke took full advantage of this, sending a flying kick into the wasp's back. He then backed up a bit as 'Beedrill' turned to face him, a look of shock on his face. Now even Machoke was starting to think the same thing as he looked confused.

"What's wrong?" 'Beedrill' asked, "Are you surprised that didn't defeat me?" Machoke replying, "No. I'm just surprised that you actually fell for that. I mean, when we first fought, that toss was the very move that gave me the upper hand just as it looked like I was going to lose. I'm surprised you weren't able to counter that."

'Butterfree's' eyes widened as she stared at the wasp, 'Beedrill' blinking and uttering, "Oh, yeah, that completely slipped my mind," rubbing the back of his head with a light chuckle, "It's just been so long since we first fought, you know."

Machoke shrugged and replied, "Well, that is true," nodding his head and replying, "As long as you're not going easy on me."

During this time, the real Beedrill and Butterfree were still trying desperately to get out of their chains as they shifted their bodies. However, no matter what they did, the chains would not even so much as loosen.

"My god, this is getting on my nerves," Beedrill groaned as Butterfree asked, "Have you tried cutting the chains with your stingers? I'm sure it'll work the eleventh time," the wasp sighing, "Even if it could work, I don't think I have the strength."

Both went silent when they heard footsteps by the door, both wasting no time shouting, "HEY, HELP US! WE'RE TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET!" only for the sound to leave the area, Beedrill fuming and barking, "ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

With that, the wasp focused hard as he attempted to pry his wings out from between the chains. And after a few seconds, he actually managed to pull it off, flapping them as hard as he could thus lifting him and Butterfree off the floor.

"What are you doing?" the butterfly uttered as Beedrill implied a smirk and replied, "I'm getting us out of these chains," before flying as fast as he could around the area, Butterfree mentally questioning his sanity.

He tried all he could, slamming the chains against the wall every few seconds, even rubbing it up against what few sharp objects he could find in the closet. And after a while, the chains started to loosen as he said, "Now, Butterfree."

The butterfly nodded and managed to wriggle out of the chains. And with both no longer pressed up against one-another, the chains could no longer bind Beedrill as they fell to the floor, the wasp exclaiming, "Yes!" landing on his feet and raising his arms in the air in triumph.

Butterfree gave him a small clap and said, "Wow, that was actually pretty impressive. I didn't think that would work."

Beedrill nodded and sighed, "Well, that's enough of that. We got us two imposters to expose," as he flew over to the door and reached his stinger into it, twisting it back and forth. And after a few seconds, he heard a click as he and Butterfree smiled.

Meanwhile, Machoke was still doing a great job against 'Beedrill' as the wasp flew toward him once more, the boy taking hold of his arms and flipping him on his back, the crowd cheering as Nori stated, "The chairman is truly getting a run for his money as Machoke continues to dominate."

'Beedrill' scowled and thought, 'Dammit, I thought for sure this form would give me some great abilities, but I'm not sure what other solo moves to use with this guy. Pretty much every one of his moves involves his stingers in some way.'

With that, he gave 'Butterfree' a quick glance and nodded, the butterfly winking at him and realizing exactly where he was going. And before anyone else could question this, 'Butterfree' started flapping her wings really hard, staying behind the ropes as a big gust of wind picked up.

The crowd was rather shocked as Golduck spat, "Machoke, look out!" but it was too late as a small twister formed under the boy, lifting him and spinning him before sending him flying into the air. All the while, 'Butterfree' stared wide-eyed at this thinking, 'I didn't know I Butterfree could do that.'

Whatever the case, 'Beedrill' saw this as a perfect opportunity as he flew up to Machoke's height, piercing his shoulders once more as the boy cried out in pain, the holes getting just a little bit bigger. But it did not end there as the wasp leaned backward, flipping Machoke one-hundred-and-eighty degrees and shouting, "TWIN NEEDLE SUPLEX!" slamming his skull hard into the mat.

Machoke's eyes and mouth were wide with shock as he coughed up a bit of blood, 'Beedrill' releasing his hold and allowing the boy to collapse. Needless to say, his friends were certainly concerned. After all, he had been doing so well up to that point yet this combined with all the damage dealt to him earlier seemed to take a toll on him.

Even the real Beedrill's fans were unsure of how to respond to this as Nori stated, "And once again, the Flying Terrors make full use of the rule that allows them to attack outside of the ring as Butterfree sets Machoke up for Beedrill's Twin Needle Suplex! And while that is a little dirty, Butterfree's assistance went for less than ten seconds, so it was still legal!"

Reika gritted her teeth and snapped, "I don't care if those two are former villains! I seriously don't buy the fact that they would actually resort to this!"

"That's because we wouldn't dare!" came a familiar voice as the crowd gasped, turning to see the real Beedrill and Butterfree standing right there by the audience entrance, both breathing heavily as the wasp uttered, "Hey, anyone got some food for us? We're starving."

"What is this!?" Nori exclaimed as her eyes went wide with shock, "How are the Flying Terrors up there and in the ring at the same time!?"

Aipom and Reika turned to one-another and narrowed their eyelids, sighing in unison, "Why did we have to be right?" as Talonflame groaned, "I shoulda seen this coming. I did the exact same thing before joining Hero School."

Hoopa and Diancie were just as shocked as the audience, but not for the same reason. Rather, they now knew exactly which villains were in that ring right now, the two narrowing their eyelids as Hoopa growled, "Oh, they are gonna get it now!"

Machoke groaned and rubbed his head, slowly rising to his feet and looking back and forth between his opponent in the ring and the chairman standing at the entrance, narrowing his eyelids and grunting, "You're not really Beedrill, are you?"

The fake Beedrill looked back and forth before scowling and pointing at the two other bugs, exclaiming, "No, that guy's an imposter! He tried to take my place, but I beat the living shit out of him! I warned you not to come back, faker!" the false Butterfree nodding and adding, "You too, fake me!"

The audience was certain the two at the entrance were the real deal, but they could not be too sure as Butterfree smirked and asked, "Tell me, faker, if you're the real Butterfree, can you use my spores?" before flapping her wings and releasing a light orange powder, Beedrill staring at her and remarking, "Don't do that for show! You'll have to wait three days to use them again!"

The butterfly shrugged and retorted, "What's the big deal? It's already too late for us to compete in this match," as the crowd stared at the Butterfree standing in the ring, the insect sighing, "Dammit, we really should have learned more about these two."

The crowd gasped as this was clearly a confession, Machoke gritting his teeth and pointing at them, barking, "I came into this ring expecting to have a good rematch with Beedrill! Who the hell are you guys!?"

The rest of the crowd was just as curious as the two insects shrugged their shoulders, the fake Butterfree saying, "Well, it was nice while it lasted."

And with that, everyone watched in both interest and slight disgust when the two fighters molded their bodies to take on two very similar forms. The one posing as Beedrill was a humanoid creature with soft pink flesh, dots for eyes and a big, thin mouth. The other had the same eyes and mouth only this one was a girl and was purple.

Even Vespiquen could no longer feign disinterest from the crowd as her eyes widened, the bee thinking, 'No, what are they doing here!? They could ruin everything!' Smeargle looking at her with confusion.

"Oh god, it's you all over again!" Gallade groaned, turning to Talonflame as the falcon sighed, "Yeah, I saw that coming a mile away."

"So, who are you really?" Nori asked as the pink boy smirked and replied, "I am known as Ditto, and this lovely young lady here is my twin sister, Ditta," Hitmonchan lowering her eyelids and sighing, "With names like that, it's kinda hard to take them seriously now."

Ditta smirked and said, "I bet you heroes thought there were no villains left in the world worth worrying about, but we wanted to let the world know that Giratina was the least of their worries! Once we take down the mighty Machoke, all will kneel before us!" Hoopa gritting his teeth and thinking, 'That was MY plan! How dare they copy me like that!?'

"Well, I'm afraid your plans are going to fail," Nori stated as Beedrill nodded and asked, "Seeing as I can no longer compete, may I?" the woman nodding and replying, "It would be my pleasure," pulling out a second chair seemingly out of nowhere as if she knew the wasp would take his announcer position back after the match.

With that, Beedrill flew over and took a seat, stating, "While going under a different alias during a tournament is not illegal, being a villain in a tournament for heroes is! As such, I feel it only necessary to disqualify you two!"

The crowd gasped as Machoke grinned, saying, "That's the real Beedrill, alright," when the wasp turned to the boy and added, "That is, I would if Machoke was not clearly opposed to this."

The crowd was confused now as Aipom nodded with a light smile, saying, "Now that Machoke knows they're evil, he's not gonna let them go. Isn't that right?"

The boy grinned and nodded, saying, "You guys know me too well," Ditto and Ditta both smiling wickedly as the pink boy said, "Well, you heard it yourself, sis. The rules of this match no longer apply. Sure, we'll probably be booted out of the tournament when it's all done, but now we could possibly get away with killing the former champion's son!"

"Oh, that sounds positively delightful!" Ditta squealed as Gallade groaned, "I think I liked it better when they were pretending to be Beedrill and Butterfree."

At that moment, Nori nodded and said, "Well, unfortunately, they're right. As the rules state, if the opponent is okay with the violation, the match will continue," Golduck grinning at the boy with even more admiration.

This was exactly why she liked him so much. Despite his childish tendencies, Machoke was a true hero to the end and would never give up when things got serious.

Nori then remembered something and uttered, "Oh, right, we were already five minutes into the match when you showed up," Beedrill nodding and ringing the bell, signalling the start of the tornado tag portion. And of course, Golduck wasted no time leaping into the ring to join Machoke as Ditta climbed in as well.

"You know, I'm glad you guys exposed us, actually," Ditto said as he smirked at Beedrill, "For starters, you guys made terrible hosts for us. The only time we've ever seen you two in battle was that first team match. Outside of that, your past fights were never witnessed by human eyes and thus were never recorded, so we barely knew any of our techniques!"

"Not to mention we had no choice but to hold back," Ditta grunted as the two proceeded to change their forms again, Ditto saying, "But one fighter we know everything about is Machoke. We've watched every single one of his recorded matches, so we know all of his techniques."

And sure enough, the creature had, indeed, taken the form of Machoke as the crowd was truly frightened now. And it did not end there as Ditta added, "And as an added bonus, I did a little research on the only hero to ever best you in combat," taking the form of Lucario as the crowd was truly astounded. To make matters worse, Ditta had remembered to add the dog's old chest spike.

Seeing this, Golduck trembled as even Machoke was frightened. So far, the only opponent he had ever faced who possessed the same abilities he did was his father, Machamp. But since he had been weakened by age, Machoke was able to overpower him. Ditto, on the other hand, had youth and an expansive knowledge of how the boy fought on his side.

And of course, Lucario's abilities could not be taken lightly as Ditto looked at the scared crowd, exclaiming, "Come on, try showing a bit more enthusiasm! You're finally seeing a team-up of Machoke and Lucario! This should be a dream come true!"

With that, Machoke frowned and retorted, "Unfortunately, that's not a real team-up!" the boy charging toward Ditto as the villain sent a karate chop toward him. Machoke easily sidestepped the move and went in for a karate chop of his own only for Ditto to grab his arm, smirking and twisting the boy's wrist.

As Machoke cried out in pain, Ditto proceeded to turn him around, turning so his own back was facing the boy's and reached his arms out, grabbing hold of his chin. He then proceeded to latch his ankle around Machoke's, pulling hard as the boy's back started to break, the crowd gasping as he cried out in pain.

And it only got worse from here as when Golduck went in to help her ally, Ditta leapt onto her back and grabbed hold of her wrists, the audience even more horrified as the girl said, "I hate to end this so soon, but hey, what better way to deal with a pest than with the very move that ended Machoke's winning streak, the Riolu Torment!?"

"It would seem allowing them to be themselves was not the best choice!" Nori exclaimed, "Ditto has not only caught Machoke in his father's famous submission technique, the Ultimate Backbreaker, but Ditta has Golduck trapped in arguably Lucario's best move!"

Seeing this, one member of the crowd exclaimed, "COME ON, MACHOKE, YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF THAT!" Aipom nodding and adding, "Remember how Lucario got out of it!"

'Right!' Machoke thought as he reached his arms up, grabbing hold of Ditto's wrists and twisting them. This caused the boy to release his hold as Machoke proceeded to lift him up by the arm, hurling him into Ditta, the girl's eyes widening as she was sent flying off of Golduck.

The duck breathed a sigh of relief and smirked, saying, "Thanks, Machoke," the boy nodding as the villains rose to their feet.

"That was nothing," Ditto grunted, "We can still win this," Ditta nodding and adding, "Yeah, let's take them out!"

With that, Ditta leapt onto her brother's hands as he propelled her off, the girl shifting her wrist spikes in front of her face, flying toward Golduck and shouting, "ROYAL JAVELIN!"

Golduck threw her arms out to block the incoming strike only for her hands to be pierced, Ditta taking full advantage of this as she kicked the duck hard in the gut. She then wrapped her arms around her, Golduck's eyes and beak wide open as the chest spike pierced her flesh.

The crowd gasped as Ditta flipped the duck so her head was facing the mat, leaping high above the ring and saying, "Though this move does have a rather dumb name, it is quite effective."

"I don't think so!" Machoke spat only for Ditto to get behind him, latching onto the boy and leaning backward, planting the back of his neck hard against the mat.

With that, Ditta descended toward the canvas and spat, "CANINE HUG SLAM!" Golduck's skull hitting the mat hard as she coughed up blood, Ditta removing the spike and allowing her to collapse as the crowd was in absolute panic.

"Just when it looked like the Aquatic Muscles could still win this, Golduck succumbs to one of Riolu's strongest techniques only made more powerful by Ditta's copy of Lucario's spike!" Nori exclaimed as Beedrill said, "Yeah, it's been a long time since the real Lucario used his father's techniques to defeat Machoke back in the day, and they still pack a serious punch, even when used by a complete poser."

Butterfree could not accept this. She did not care if Machoke was okay with this or not. This just seemed so wrong.

Aipom stared with concern and whimpered, "This couldn't be any worse!" and it seemed so as Ditto had Machoke in a Boston Crab, Reika uttering, "They can pull this off, right? I mean, this is Machoke. He always gets out of these situations."

Amanda watched this with gritted teeth back in London, growling, "How dare that bitch use my brother's abilities like that!? I wish I was the one in that ring right now! I'd give her a piece of my mind!" Sarah unsure of whether to try calming her down or not.

And it would only get worse as Ditto released Machoke's ankles, lifting him up and saying, "By the way, I don't believe you've ever felt the impact of that Muscle Tombstone of yours, have you? Why not have a little taste?"

Ditta folded her arms to watch the show as Golduck did not seem to be able to move right now, Ditto leaping high above the ring with Machoke's shoulders in hand. And once high enough, he flipped the boy one-hundred and eighty degrees, locking the boy's arms in place before wrapping his ankles around his neck, shouting, "MUSCLE TOMBSTONE!"

Despite knowing full-well how to get out of this, Machoke was in too much shock to respond as his head was slammed hard into the mat, the boy coughing up more blood than Golduck as he passed out as well. The crowd was in extreme panic now as Nori exclaimed, "And as if the Canine Hug Slam wasn't bad enough, Machoke has taken in that classic Mach Family finisher, the Muscle Tombstone!"

With that, she realized she had no choice as she started the ten count, Ditto saying, "You're wasting your breath," but just as he and Ditta were ready to finish off their opponents for good, both went wide-eyed as they turned and noticed Machoke slowly push himself back up, rubbing his head and grunting, "Wow, I can see why so many villains have fallen to this."

Golduck also managed to recover as Ditto stared and uttered, "Wait a minute, why didn't that finish you off?"

Machoke took a deep breath and said, "First of all, you've clearly never faced a member of my family. We can handle a lot of pain."

"As for me, I didn't take in a lot of hits prior to you using one of Lucario's finishers, so I still have plenty of spirit left," Golduck added as Ditto smirked and remarked, "Whatever. It'll just make victory all the more satisfying."

While the Aquatic Muscles still had fight in them, it was clear that this match would not be an easy one. After all, could Machoke possibly defeat himself?


	20. Chapter 20

Things had been going rather strongly in the Aquatic Muscles' favour before, but now that Ditto and Ditta had been exposed, the two saw no reason to hold back anymore. Taking the forms of Machoke and Lucario had already proven itself to be the best idea they could have come up with as the fight seemed much more in their favour now.

Despite this, Golduck and Machoke still had fight left in them as the boy grunted, "Alright, it's time for a little payback," Golduck nodding as she said, "Let's do this."

With that in mind, the two raced toward their opponents only for Ditto to ready himself for a counter, saying, "Big deal, so you survived. I dare you to pull that off a second time," Ditta preparing her wrist spikes only for both Machoke and Golduck to leap up, planting their feet hard into each one's forehead.

The crowd cheered as the fighters landed behind the siblings they had struck, Machoke wrapping his arms around Ditto and lifting him up, connecting a perfect suplex. Golduck only added to this as she hooked Ditta's neck, applying just enough force to push her forward, the girl falling flat on her face.

"Just as it seemed hope might be lost for the Aquatic Muscles, they make a great comeback," Nori stated as Beedrill asked, "But was there ever any doubt?" not adding to that as he remembered that as an announcer, it was his job to be neutral.

With that, Golduck proceeded to lift up Ditta, tossing her on top of Ditto as Machoke asked, "You ready for this?" the duck nodding and replying, "Yeah, let's do it."

With that, the crowd was truly astounded as Machoke leapt atop the turnbuckle, Golduck jumping on top of his shoulders as the two spread their arms out, Aipom uttering, "Are they trying what I think they are?" Gallade saying, "Looks like it, but I don't think that's such a good idea."

Despite that, both felt confident about this. While in theory, it only made sense for Machoke to do this with Hawlucha, Golduck figured she could pull it off. After all, it was far from the most advanced of all finishing moves.

With that in mind, the two leapt from the turnbuckle and exclaimed, "DOUBLE FLYING-" only for Golduck to lose her balance, falling off of Machoke's shoulders and onto her back.

Machoke's eyes widened as Ditto and Ditta recovered just in time to see this, the two wasting no time leaping toward the boy and latching onto his arms. The crowd gasped as Machoke panicked, the two using the momentum to slam his back hard against the canvas, each one latching onto his arm and neck.

"Just as it seemed the Aquatic Muscles would use the team move thought up by Hawlucha, it seems Golduck was unable to pull it off!" Nori exclaimed, "And now Machoke has been caught in a double triangle choke!"

"Wow, this is easier than expected!" Ditto exclaimed as Golduck groaned, rubbing her head and rising to her feet, gasping at the sight of this.

"I knew it," Gallade groaned, "Golduck can't match Hawlucha's strength and speed, so it makes sense she wouldn't be able to pull that off," Scyther nodding and replying, "It makes me wonder why they even thought that was a good idea. Surely they must have tested it out ahead of time."

"They didn't have enough time to practice team moves, that's why," Aipom uttered as the others stared at her, "I should have seen this coming. Those two only had a couple of days to prepare themselves for this. That's hardly any time to build up a good amount of chemistry between them."

"You have a point," Reika uttered, "Besides, Hawlucha and Machoke are both evenly-matched when it comes to physical strength. Golduck can't even compare to that."

Despite this, the duck fully intended to help her ally as she propelled herself off the ropes, aiming a flying kick at Ditta. However, the girl saw this coming as she released her hold on the boy, leaping at Golduck and latching onto her.

The crowd was in even more panic as Golduck was forced up against the turnbuckle. And it would only get worse from here as Ditta leapt high above the ring, saying, "This may not be my favourite of Lucario's finishers, but it'll be enough to keep you down."

"COME ON, GOLDUCK, FIGHT IT!" Isabel exclaimed, everyone shocked to hear her of all people saying this, "PLEASE, PROVE THAT YOU CAN LIVE UP TO THE STANDARDS OF MI HERMANO! I DON'T WANT MACHOKE TO LOSE JUST BECAUSE HE'S IN THE HOSPITAL!"

However, Golduck seemed unable to escape as Ditta threw her over her shoulder, leaning backward and shouting, "HALF-MOON PRESS!" slamming the duck's skull hard against the canvas as she once again passed out, the crowd now terrified as Nori stated, "And with that, Ditta uses another one of Riolu's old finishers to knock Golduck out once again. Let's see if she can recover from this one."

Machoke tried his hardest to fight the triangle choke so he could help with a look of anger in his eyes only for Ditta to leapt at him, planting her feet hard into his gut. And with that, both she and her brother picked him up from both sides, Ditto saying, "Just one use of this move is devastating enough, but let's see how strong it'll be when we use it together."

Ditta nodded and grinned wickedly at Isabel, saying, "That was a nice pep-talk you gave, but it seems our plan has come together after all. Golduck's nowhere near as good as your brother was," Isabel's eyes widening as her mother and Lea were both confused.

"Wait, their plan?" Reika uttered as Cici nodded and said, "I think what she means is that they were the ones who put Hawlucha out of commission."

Hoopa gritted his teeth, fuming and grunting, "Of course! Why didn't I see it sooner!?" the audience members around him staring in confusion as Diancie tried to hush him before he could reveal that he actually knew the two villains in the ring.

This only infuriated Isabel, and it would only get worse from here as Ditto and Ditta leapt high above the ring, holding Machoke upside-down and wrapping their arms around his torso, their legs latched to his upper body. There was no doubt about it. Both fighters had just set him up for his other famous finishing move.

Machoke's friends stared in sheer horror as Aipom screeched, "MACHOKE, REVERSE IT!" but thanks to the combined strength of Ditto and Ditta, he was unable to use the same tactic Lucario had used to get out of this. As such, his head was driven hard into the mat as the villains exclaimed, "DOUBLE ULTIMATE DRIVER!"

With that, both released their hold on the boy as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. It seemed even Machoke could not handle the might of this, the crowd staring with fear in their eyes. Even Nori and Beedrill were silent, neither able to announce what had just happened.

Hoopa still looked beyond peeved as Isabel bit her lower lip, sniffing, "Come on, Machoke. You can get up from that," Nori letting out a sigh and starting the ten count once more.

However, almost immediately after she started it up, the crowd gasped as Golduck planted her hands against the mat, slowly pushing herself up with a look of fury in her eyes. There was no way she would allow these villains to leave the ring with enough strength to cause more havoc, especially with their ability to change into any form they wanted.

However, neither Ditto nor Ditta looked the least bit intimidated as Ditta snickered, "Oh, this is just too perfect! The only one who can move right now is the team weakling!" both breaking out into hysterics as the crowd was unsure whether to argue against this or not.

The duck continued to scowl at them, stating, "You're right. I'm nowhere near as strong as Machoke. In fact, I feel like he's done most of the work in this match so far, but even so, I have a feeling he'll recover and if anything, I'll make sure he's able to wake up with an advantage."

The crowd was seriously hoping Machoke would recover soon as Golduck charged toward Ditta first. The girl threw her palm forward only for the duck to easily sidestep the attack, taking hold of Ditta's arm and hurling her high into the air.

The crowd was truly amazed as before Ditto could even respond to this, Golduck sent him into the turnbuckle with a well-timed roundhouse, leaping up to Ditta's level. She then latched her ankles onto the girl's neck and leaned backward, grabbing hold of the villain's ankles and flipping her over so her head was facing the mat.

The crowd went wild as Golduck exclaimed, "ICE ROCK DRIVER!" sending Ditta's skull hard into the canvas as she coughed up blood.

The duck then released her hold, thus allowing her to collapse as Ditto shook the pain off of his head, charging toward Golduck and barking, "You'll pay for that!"

However, Golduck easily saw this coming as she leapt backward, performing a handstand and sending the heels of her feet hard into the boy's chin, sending him flying high above the ring. She then leapt up and mounted herself onto his back, taking hold of his chin with one hand and his ankles with the other, pulling hard on them.

"DUCK DRIVER!" Golduck shouted as she sent Ditto's belly hard into the mat, the boy coughing up blood himself as his head lowered, planting itself into the mat, Golduck leaping off as the crowd cheered ever louder.

"And with little to no effort, Golduck successfully lands her two most powerful land moves!" Nori exclaimed, "And it looks like the Flying Terrors might actually have trouble getting up from this!" Beedrill sighing, "Butterfree and I are the Flying Terrors. Make up a different name for them."

'It's true, I've relied on water so much that it's hard for people to remember I have strong moves that don't require it,' the duck thought with a smirk, 'I highly doubt that was enough to defeat them, but at least it was enough to help. I just hope I'm a worthy ally for you, Machoke.'

Unfortunately, though, it was just as the duck figured. The crowd gasped as sure enough, Ditto and Ditta had not yet been beaten, the two slowly rising to their feet and breathing heavily, looks of irritation on their faces.

"Oh, come on!" Aipom groaned, rubbing her temple, "Why couldn't that have been enough!?" the others equally worried as Machoke still had not recovered yet.

"Despite Golduck's best efforts, the, um, Transforming Terrors still have fight left in them," Nori stated as Beedrill nodded and said, "Not bad."

"Transforming Terrors, eh?" Ditto asked with a smirk, "I like it," Ditta ignoring the name issue and saying, "Well, that certainly caught us by surprise, but we already know from your match with Machoke that those two moves you just used were the best you had."

Golduck folded her arms and sighed, "Well, I can't argue with you. I haven't really come up with any new non-water based finishing moves, but I can still put up a fight until Machoke recovers and we can fight together again."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen," Ditto retorted as he charged toward his opponent.

The duck leapt above him only for the boy to see this coming, grabbing hold of her ankles and swinging her downward, slamming her back hard against the canvas. He then turned to Ditta and exclaimed, "Alright, let's finish this! We can't allow Machoke to save her this time!"

And with that, Ditta waited for Golduck to rise to her feet as she leapt at her from behind, latching her ankles onto the duck's sides. She then proceeded to take hold of her wrists, spreading them out and shouting, "RIOLU TORMENT!"

The crowd gasped as Nori exclaimed, "Oh no, and Golduck is once again caught in that perfect finisher that defeated Machoke! This might be it for her, folks!" Beedrill growling, "Forget neutrality! Come on, Golduck, fight it!"

However, everyone knew how there was no known method of escaping this hold and thus Aipom got up and screeched, "COME ON, MACHOKE, WAKE UP!" Reika nodding and barking, "Your partner needs you right now!"

Unfortunately, Machoke was still out cold as Ditto folded his arms, smirking and saying, "Man, I didn't think that Double Ultimate Driver would pack that much of a punch. I love this form," flexing his muscles.

And after a few more seconds, Golduck's arms were twisted as everyone could hear them break, the duck's eyes widening as she let out a loud cry of pain. However, this was just enough for Machoke's eyes to shoot wide open, the boy planting his hands firmly against the mat as he propelled himself off of it. He then flew toward Ditta and planted his feet hard into her side, causing her to release her hold as she careened into the turnbuckle, the crowd going wild as Ditto's jaw dropped.

"Oh, thank god," Aipom sighed with light tears in her eyes, Keiko breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "I had a feeling he wouldn't let us down."

But while the boy had at least managed to prevent Golduck's spine from shattering, it did not change the fact that she could no longer use her arms. Try as she might, she found herself unable to lift them as Machoke looked at her with concern, asking, "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Golduck replied with a light grin as the boy sighed, "I hate to say it, but in your condition, you probably shouldn't continue this fight."

"Wait, what!?" Golduck retorted with a look of horror, the audience unsure how to react to this as Ditto smirked, folding his arms and saying, "He's right. Heck, I'll make sure you have yourself a good rest."

And before Machoke could even respond, Ditta flew at him and sent a hard kick to his face, knocking him on his back as Ditto took hold of Golduck, sending her flying into the air before leaping up, wrapping his arms around her torso and his legs around her upper body. Everyone knew exactly what was coming as they winced, the boy shouting, "ULTIMATE DRIVER!" sending her skull hard into the mat.

Golduck coughed up a great deal of blood as Ditto released his hold on her, allowing her to collapse as the crowd stared in horror, Machoke recovering from the kick just in time to witness this. He was even more frightened than the audience right now as it truly seemed like Golduck would not be able to move.

With that in mind, Ditto lifted her up and said, "We'll need more room to fight, so how about we remove this piece of baggage from the ring?" only for Machoke to grit his teeth, barking, "DON'T YOU DARE!?"

With that, he charged at the boy and sent a hard punch to his face. But just as he was about to do more, Ditta leapt behind him and latched onto his shoulders.

"This time, stay down," the girl said only for Machoke to lift his arms, wrapping them around Ditta's wrists. The crowd was truly astounded as he proceeded to lean forward, lifting her high above his head before planting her back hard against the canvas.

The crowd cheered as Nori exclaimed, "And Machoke pulls off a counter that I've never seen anyone use before! Using nothing but his armpits, he managed to apply enough force to slam his opponent to the mat!"

"That's right, and there's more where that came from!" Machoke exclaimed as Ditto charged at him, shouting, "I DON'T THINK SO!"

However, Machoke saw this coming as took hold of Ditto's arms. With that, he leapt high above the ring, turning the boy around before latching onto his wrists and ankles. He then proceeded to pull hard on both parts, bending Ditto's back a bit as his eyes and mouth were wide open.

"You've seen all my other finishers in action, but you've probably only ever seen this one once!" Machoke stated as he spun his body around, flipping himself and Ditto over one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, aiming the opponent's head toward his downed ally's gut.

"MUSCLE TORNADO!" the boy exclaimed as soon enough, Ditto's head was rammed hard into Ditta's gut, the girl coughing up blood as both sets of eyes rolled to the backs of their heads.

The crowd went wild as Machoke released his hold, allowing Ditto to collapse on top of his sister, both reverting to their original forms while Nori started the ten count. Beedrill implied a big smile with his eyes as the others had their own smiles, especially Isabel, light tears rolling down her cheeks.

And after ten seconds were up, Beedrill rang the bell and exclaimed, "And with that, this victory goes to the Aquatic Muscles!" the crowd cheering even louder as Machoke breathed heavily, raising his arm in the air with a big open-mouth smile on his face.

"This is truly an incredible sight, folks!" Nori exclaimed with glee, "Machoke was all alone for those last couple of minutes and yet he still managed to defeat both of his opponents at once! He really is something else, isn't he!?"

Needless to say, Aipom was beyond relieved right now as she sighed, "He always has to make so many close calls," Reika nodding and replying, "Yeah, but let's face it, Machoke will never get an easy match, will he?"

However, while Machoke's friends along with the rest of the crowd were happy, the boy's moment of triumph suddenly felt meaningless to him as he looked down at Golduck. With that, he lifted her up as medics ran into the area, the boy carefully placing her on the stretcher and smiling, saying, "Thanks for the help, buddy."

And with that, the duck was taken away as Aipom looked at her pupil with concern. After all, there was no doubt in her mind that Golduck would not make a full recovery in time for the third round and if what the doctors said was true, neither would Hawlucha. This left the boy with much fewer options for a replacement partner.

However, while Machoke was thinking about that to a certain degree, right now all he could focus on was Golduck's well-being. After all, he had once been on the receiving end of the Riolu Torment himself. If Ditta had finished the move, the duck's condition would have been even worse.

Before Nori could give her announcements regarding round two, Beedrill flew toward Machoke and implied a smile, saying, "Great job as usual, Machoke. Once again, you've saved us," the boy sighing, "Yeah, but I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get to have my rematch with you."

"Me too," the wasp replied with his arms behind his head, "But hey, I may be able to arrange something someday. Honestly, I'm just glad I got to fight in front of people once."

Butterfree shook her head and thought, 'Well, he's right. We did get one opportunity,' when suddenly, both insects' stomachs growled, Beedrill sighing, "Right, we haven't eaten in two days."

Nori nodded and stated, "Well, you'll get your chance to fill up as unlike with the first round, we'll be taking a half-hour break before the next match. So, everyone go and enjoy yourselves, but remember to return soon as you don't wanna miss this next fight."

With that, the crowd rose from their seats and decided to stretch their legs, Ditto and Ditta handcuffed and dragged out of the arena. Needless to say, Beedrill and Butterfree immediately bolted from the area to purchase a big lunch from the concession stand.

Machoke decided to join the others as Aipom leapt onto his face, embracing it and squealing, "Oh my god, you were so good out there!" the boy groaning, "And even after a year, you still insist on doing that."

Aipom gave him an awkward smile and let go, Gallade resting a hand on his shoulder and saying, "Either way, this is the third time you've stopped a villain from winning in a tournament for heroes, or in this case, villains. So far, only you and your dad have ever pulled that off."

Machoke blinked in confusion as Aipom nodded and stated, "That's right. A couple of really powerful villains made their way into the tag team tournament Machamp fought in. They overpowered everyone until the final match when after arguably one of the most intense battles he ever fought, both he and Combusken defeated them and became the world champions."

The monkey then sighed, "Though granted, this was before the 'no villains allowed in a tournament for heroes' rule was enforced, so no one tried to disqualify them for it," the others face-palming in response to this.

All the while, Florges had to admit that she was conflicted now as she wandered the halls, tapping her chin. Up to this point, she had been under the same assumption as Masquerain, that Hoopa and Diancie were the ones who attacked them during the mountain climbing race. And yet she had just witnessed two villains suffer defeat. Now she could not help but wonder if Ditto and Ditta had been responsible for it.

But even so, she was currently more focused on Smeargle. Deep down, as much as she wanted to support her friend, she wanted him to lose this match. She could just tell something was wrong with him and as such, she would support Gothitelle and Mawile as best as she could.


	21. Chapter 21

With the match between the Aquatic Muscles and the Transforming Terrors having come to a close, Machoke just wanted to rest up and use the half-hour they had as best as he could. He was still worried about Golduck's health, but he also knew she would rather not have him dwell on that.

As such, he and the others minus Scyther and Talonflame, who were off training as usual, and Reika, who decided to watch them, sat down for a quick lunch. But while Machoke certainly enjoyed his food, Aipom could tell something was bothering him. She did not ask as she knew exactly what it was.

"I just really hope there aren't any other villains in this tournament," Cici whimpered, "This has happened in every single one," Gallade nodding and adding, "Have you guys also noticed it's taken one less round for the big reveal?"

The others turned as Hitmonchan nodded and said, "Yeah, from what you told me, Talonflame wasn't exposed until the final match. Meanwhile, Ninetales was revealed in the semi-finals and now Ditto and Ditta in the quarter-finals," Machoke sighing, "And all of those reveals were when I fought them."

"I guess in that sense, you're kinda like a lie detector, aren't you?" Gallade joked with a big grin as Machoke sighed, "Yeah, but sometimes I wish some other hero could take these guys down for me," all going silent until the boy broke out into hysterics along with the others. Needless to say, Aipom was relieved just to see Machoke feeling positive again.

At that moment, the group noticed Florges wandering around deep in thought as Machoke blinked, saying, "Hey, that's Gardevoir's idol friend," the others lowering their eyelids and sighing, "I don't think she's necessarily what you'd call an idol," only for the boy to ignore them and wave happily, exclaiming, "Hey, Florges, wanna join us for lunch!?"

The flower girl blinked and turned to face them. She stood there silently for a few seconds but as she did not wish to upset them, a light smile formed on her face as she approached the group, bowing her head to them.

Cici pushed out a seat for her as she blinked, Aipom nodding and saying, "Go on, take it," the flower girl once again nodding and sitting down with the group.

Sure, she was used to having lunch with friends, but only those she knew well. She had never really interacted with any of Gardevoir's friends outside of Paris before.

However, she was often very good when it came to talking to people, though this was mostly due to her interactions with her fans, and thus she very quickly got over her surprise and said, "Monsieur Machoke, that match was simply incroyable. As I'm sure Gardevoir has told you, I don't have a lot of time to watch TV as when I'm not fighting evil, I'm either performing or doing something else, so these two matches are so far the only times I've ever seen you in action."

Machoke nodded as Hitmonchan said, "You know, you should probably look up some of his other matches in your free time. People often like to upload our matches online. It gives the public a way to see our fights without having to put everything aside for the moment they air on TV."

Florges nodded and smiled lightly, saying, "So there is a way to see Gardevoir's victories for myself. I'll get right on that when I have downtime next," the group grinning before enjoying a bit more smalltalk.

But after a while, Gallade noticed something off as he asked, "Hey, Florges, do you know where Masquerain is? We haven't seen her since she had lunch with us during our second break."

The flower girl's eyes widened in response to this. That was right, no one else knew of the butterfly's injury and how she had lost all consciousness after having her brain stabbed. But as much as Florges did not wish the spoil the moment with such awful news, she knew it would be wrong to keep this concealed from the public.

With that in mind, Florges let out a sigh and replied, "She's currently in the hospital," everyone staring wide-eyed as she added, "She was badly injured after round one ended. I'm not really sure when she'll recover."

Machoke blinked and uttered, "Okay, first Hawlucha and now Masquerain? As if the contestants hospitalized that day weren't enough," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Well, on the upside, I'm pretty sure you just stopped the villains who were likely guilty of this."

Hitmonchan nodded with a light smile and added, "That's a good point. Who else would even be able to pull this off other than the very villains who snuck their way into the tournament?"

However, Florges seemed very uncertain of this. She had a strange feeling that the Transforming Terrors were not the only villains in this tournament, but she still needed confirmation of this belief. It would have been wrong to accuse others of this sort of thing without evidence to back it up.

Either way, Machoke let out a sigh and said, "Well, I hope she gets better. She's actually pretty cool," a grin on his face as Florges thought, 'I really hope so too. I heard that Greninja was able to recover from something like this, so there's no doubt she can do it too, non?'

During this time, two particular heroes who were preparing extra hard were Gothitelle and Mawile. After having seen Smeargle's enormous boost in power, they needed to be ready, though the goth could see the fear on her partner's face, even her mother looking concerned about whether or not her daughter should partake in this match.

Seeing this, Gothitelle took a deep breath and gave the two a sweet smile, saying, "Come on, have a little faith," Mawile and her hair turning to face her as she added, "Remember how tough our last opponents were? We still managed to beat them. I'm sure we can beat these two, and even if we don't, we'll still try our best, right?"

Mawile blinked as her mother made low growling noises, the girl nodding with a big smile and saying, "Yeah, we'll show them just how badass we can truly be!" her hair retorting to her language with a few more growls as she sighed, "Sorry, Mommy."

And with that, the break was over as the seats were once again filled, Nori and Beedrill seated behind their desk as Nori exclaimed, "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the second match of round two! I've gotta say, it's gonna be hard to top that previous match, but I have confidence that these two teams just might be able to pull it off," Beedrill giving her an odd look as he could tell she did not fully believe those words, what with her being a much bigger fan of Machoke.

The crowd was unsure about this too, because while Gothitelle and Mawile had certainly surprised them by getting the upper hand against a much stronger opponent, they did not seem nearly as strong and skilled as Gardevoir and Blaziken. For all the audience knew, this match could very well end up being much shorter.

Even so, Nori would not delay this any longer as she pointed at the Western entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, these two have really surprised us so far! They seemed so weak at first but each has proven to be a lot more powerful than expected! Give a round of applause to the Elegant Warriors!" the crowd unsure whether or not to cheer let alone clap as Vespiquen and Smeargle approached the ring.

This time, they were accompanied by a Victorian score as Vespiquen wore a dress, Smeargle dressed in a fancy suit. Both held hands as they reached the ring, each one entering in a delicate manner before bowing to the other. Once again, the team had gone for an entrance that seemed more fitting for a live stage show than a fight.

However, once the entrance was out of the way, many cheered for Smeargle as one exclaimed, "SURPRISE US MORE!" a few people wearing T-shirts with the beagle's face on them, Machoke uttering, "He already has merchandise?" Aipom sighing, "That's the marketing industry for you."

Florges was appalled by this. Sure, she wanted Smeargle to become well-known in the fighting world, but not when he had to almost kill his best friend to make it happen. She prayed that Gothitelle and Mawile would be strong enough to deal with this as she glared at the beagle.

And with that, Nori pointed at the Eastern entrance, stating, "And in the blue corner, two fighters who are a lot tougher than they look! Having defeated an opponent much more powerful than they are, it is my pleasure to reintroduce the Queens of Darkness!"

Many members of the crowd cheered for the two girls as they headed toward the ring with light smiles, waving to the crowd. Much like before, Gothitelle saw no point in setting up a big entrance as Machoke waved at the two, clapping hard and exclaiming, "COME ON, KICK THEIR ASSES!"

The goth gave the boy a quick smile and wave before climbing into the ring, helping Mawile up into it. The younger girl felt much more confident not only because of what Gothitelle had said earlier but because of her shocking victory over Metang, a grin forming on her face.

Vespiquen watched the two closely as the young girl agreed to go first, Gothitelle nodding and accepting this. Now that Mawile was fully confident in herself, this just felt right.

Seeing this, Vespiquen turned to Smeargle, a big grin on his face as she said, "I know you probably wish to take the first go, but I would prefer to start this match."

"Are you certain?" Smeargle remarked as the bee nodded and replied, "Positive," the beagle sighing in disappointment but knowing better than to question the bee. After all, she had helped unlock his true potential. He owed her his full cooperation for that.

Gothitelle scowled, a part of her actually feeling glad that the bee had chosen to go first. After all, she was the one giving off the most negative aura right now and thus the goth wanted her to go down first.

"Remember, watch out for her strings," Gothitelle said as Mawile nodded, Nori ringing the bell to signal the start of the match. As such, Vespiquen wasted no time flying toward the girl before her with her arm out.

Mawile waited for her to get close as her mother made some low growling sounds, the girl nodding and turned around just in time for the hair's jaws to open up, biting into Vespiquen's wrist. The crowd cheered for the girl as the bee's eyes widened, Mawile flinging her hard into the turnbuckle as Gothitelle gave her a light smile.

"That Mawile's awesome!" Machoke exclaimed with a grin as Octillery clapped, shouting, "Good start!"

However, it seemed like it might be too early for people to celebrate as Vespiquen scowled, thinking, 'Alright. Let's see how she handles this.'

With that in mind, the bee once again headed toward Mawile. Like before, the girl was on the defensive as Vespiquen flew over her head, landing behind her. But just as she was about to strike, Mawile's mother went on the attack and sunk her teeth into the bee's wrist again.

The crowd cheered even louder, Smeargle now concerned until the bee winked at him, the beagle's fear turning to a look of understanding as he nodded, readying his tails. And he would soon find a reason to shift them around as Mawile lifted Vespiquen up, shouting, "ALLIGATOR JAW SUPLEX!" slamming the bee's back hard against the mat.

The crowd cheered once again as Nori asked, "Is this really the same Vespiquen who got the drop on Blaziken so quickly in the first round? So far, she's tried nothing but basic moves and as a result has fallen victim to the jaws of Mawile's reincarnated mom!"

"That is still such a hard concept to grasp," Beedrill uttered, "And to think, she and Butterfree used to be allies."

"You know, Nori brings up a good point," Reika uttered, "I'm actually starting to question this. Did Vespiquen honestly believe getting behind the girl, you know, the part where that creepy hair is was a good idea?"

Machoke blinked before shrugging and replying, "Well, it's her fault for not thinking straight. I'm just happy those two have got an early lead," clearly referring to the Queens of Darkness.

It seemed there was more to this than everyone figured as Vespiquen implied a smirk, unleashing the bees from the holes in her abdomen. Seeing this, Gothitelle gasped, "Mawile, look out!" but much to everyone's shock, the bees did not actually come close to the girl's body at all.

Instead, they circled around her mother until she found herself unable to open her mouth, the crowd gasping as Gallade groaned, "I totally should have seen that coming."

Mawile pulled hard only to hear light grunts of pain as she squeaked, "Sorry, Mommy!" Vespiquen implying a wicked smile as she said, "You know, Mawile, you are quite strong for someone so small, or rather you would be if you were the one doing the work."

Mawile's eyes widened as the bee continued, "Think about it. There's no doubt you performed much better than Gothitelle during your last match," Gothitelle nodding and saying, "She's right. You really impressed me."

Mawile gave the goth a light smile in response, but that quickly faded when Vespiquen remarked, "She's giving you way too much credit, because admit it. You weren't really the one who upstaged Gothitelle during that fight. It was all the work of your mother, wasn't it?"

No one knew exactly how to react to this as deep down, they knew Vespiquen had a point. And it seemed even Mawile was considering it as she turned to her mother, the ponytail trying to shake herself like a head, letting out a low whimper.

"Face it," Vespiquen stated, "Without this deformity of yours, you're nothing!" the bee flipping herself over thus lifting up Mawile, the girl's eyes wide open as the bee shouted, "ATTACK ORDER!" Mawile pursing her eyes and mouth shut while Gothitelle was unable to hide her fear. She rarely ever changed her expression, at least in her eyes, and yet in no time flat, she already looked terrified.

However, Mawile was shocked to take in very little pain from the impact of the slam, and soon the reason would be made clear when she turned to notice she had not been on the receiving end. Instead, the top of her ponytail had been planted hard against the canvas as she seemed to be suffering now.

Seeing this, Mawile gritted her teeth and snapped, "NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT MOMMY!" before rising to her feet and pulling hard. She was no longer trying to free the hair so much as she was trying her hardest to lift Vespiquen up. After all, she had managed to lift the bee over her head earlier, right?

Unfortunately, it seemed she was no longer able to lift up Vespiquen as she implied a smirk, saying, "I knew it. All those times you managed to lift Metang and even when you lifted me earlier were not just you. Your mother was helping you every time, wasn't she? And right now, she doesn't have quite enough strength to add to the force of your throw."

Gothitelle bit her lower lip as Mawile trembled, Vespiquen asking, "I'm right, aren't I?" Machoke uttering, "You know, I'm having a lot of trouble arguing against that."

"Yeah, me too," Aipom whimpered as the others seemed to feel the same, Mawile letting out many deep breaths and turning to Gothitelle, asking, "Am I really a weakling?"

But before the goth could answer that, Vespiquen refused to let the hair recover and thus kept her mouth bound shut, the bee shifting her abdomen back thus pulling the strings toward her. This forced Mawile to get close as Vespiquen sent one set of claws into the hair, the other into the girl. As a result, both were paralysed now as the bee lifted the two up, sending the hair's chin into the mat.

And to end it all, she then swung Mawile around before finally reeling her bees back in thus releasing her hold and allow the two to fly back-first into the turnbuckle. The crowd was truly amazed now as from these few hits, Mawile's mother was already looking weak.

Gothitelle was now truly concerned as despite Mawile having not taken in much pain herself, she did not rise back to her feet. The crowd, even Smeargle and Vespiquen's fans stared at the girl with concern as she sniffed, letting down light tears.

"Oh my god, is she crying!?" Tsuya spat, staring at Vespiquen and barking, "You monster!" the bee implying an eye-roll and sighing, "I was just taking this match seriously. What did you expect me to do, go easy on her?"

'No, she's right,' Gothitelle thought with a frown, 'Mawile's not crying because you harmed her. She can handle that. No, she has a much different reason.'

And this was made clear when she looked up at Gothitelle, whimpering, "It's true, isn't it!? I've never been strong! It's always been Mommy doing everything for me, hasn't it!?"

"No, that's not true!" Octillery remarked, Kecleon saying, "Yeah, I always thought you were tough," Mawile retorting, "That's because you only saw Mommy in action! I rarely ever use my own strength, and when I do, it doesn't have much of an effect!"

"Stop it!" Gothitelle retorted as Mawile gasped and turned to her, her eyes wide with shock as the goth continued, "Look, Mawile, I've known you long enough. It is true that all of your best moves involve you relying on your mother, but keep in mind that even she wouldn't be able to lift up a heavy opponent if you didn't apply some force of our own."

The girl stared with confusion as the goth added, "You have to remember that now with your mother's spirit inside of your hair, she's a part of you. You give her strength just like she does for you!"

Mawile's eyes sparkled as Vespiquen folded her arms and implied an eye-roll, Smeargle actually touched by this. When the bee noticed a light tear forming on his eye, she narrowed her eyelids and thought, 'This Gothitelle might be more of a threat to my plans than I thought.'

And luckily for the bee, it seemed like she might just get a chance at revenge when Gothitelle held out her hand and added, "Right now, though, your mother needs rest, so let me fight in your stead and allow her to recover, alright?" Mawile wiping her tears and nodding with a big smile, sprinting over.

However, the increase in speed seemed unnecessary as Vespiquen did not even attempt to stop the girl, Mawile tagging Gothitelle in as she switched places, the crowd excited once more as Nori stated, "And after a good speech, it seems Gothitelle is ready for action! Let's see if she can make up for the damage Vespiquen dealt earlier!"

The bee folded her arms as Smeargle asked, "Now can I go in there?" the bee replying, "There's one thing I need to do first, then you'll get your turn," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui."

With that, Gothitelle narrowed her eyelids and said, "You can insult me all you like, but when you mess with one of my friends like you just did, you will suffer my wrath," purple orbs of energy surrounding her hands as Vespiquen chuckled.

"Chivalry might make you sound cool, but will it make you stronger?" the bee asked tauntingly as Gothitelle rushed at her with her hands at the ready. Sure, her style of fighting may have been simpler, but she knew how to strategize.

As such, when Vespiquen sent her claws toward her, the goth easily dodged it before planting her palm hard into her cheek. The bee implied a smirk and asked, "Is that all you got?"

She then proceeded to ram the back of her hand into the goth's cheek, adding, "Come on, I barely felt a thing," only for Gothitelle to retaliate with another palm punch, retorting, "I can tell you're bluffing," striking the bee five times in the chest before sending her flying back a bit.

The crowd cheered for the goth as she folded her arms and said, "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to get me to use Psyshock in the hopes that Smeargle will sketch it, right?"

Vespiquen's eyes widened as Machoke smirked, saying, "Nice try. It sometimes takes a while, but when Gothitelle sees her opponents in action enough, she can read their tactics like a book."

"Wow, that's actually pretty impressive," Aipom replied with a nod as Vespiquen narrowed her eyes, sighing, "Alright," flying over to Smeargle and tagging him in, saying, "Make sure you draw out that look of terror we saw earlier."

"Oui," the beagle replied with a grin as he leapt over the rope and into the ring. Now the crowd was really unsure of where this would go. Sure, Vespiquen may have been strong, but Smeargle had already proven himself much better.

Before he could attack, Gothitelle took a deep breath and said, "Wait, Smeargle, before we start this, I need to ask you something."

The beagle blinked as the goth asked, "Are you happy with your victory in the first round?" the audience confused by this question, and it seemed Smeargle was just as dumbfounded as he replied, "Pardon, but I don't understand."

"Look, you didn't just win," Gothitelle remarked, "You sent a very good friend of yours to the hospital. You showed this great deal of malice, celebrating the act of hospitalizing your friend as if you just took down a mighty villain. Is this really what you want?"

Florges had a light smile on her face. Having never gotten to know Gothitelle, she never would have guessed that she would be on the same wavelength as her. Perhaps this goth could reach Smeargle and succeed where the flower girl had failed.

Smeargle stared at Gothitelle briefly, a look of both shock and regret on his face. Deep down, he felt that she might very well be right. But unfortunately, that would all change when Vespiquen let out a sigh and said, "She's trying to psyche you out. Don't listen to her."

For whatever reason, these very words seemed to convince the dog as the green aura from before surrounded him, the beagle glaring angrily at Gothitelle and retorting, "Why don't you mind your own bee's wax, you emo bitch!?"

All went silent as no one could believe what they had just heard. Florges' jaw was dropped as Machoke uttered, "Thank god Gardevoir wasn't around to hear that," Gallade nodding and saying, "You just took the words out of my mouth."

Even Gothitelle's eyes went wide as she thought, 'Did he just call me emo?' and before anyone could say anything else, Smeargle growled, "If you're just gonna stand there, I guess I may as well take advantage of it."

Gothitelle snapped out of her trance just in time to see the beagle send a barrage of tail punches her way, shouting, "TRIPLE TAIL BRUSH BARRAGE!"

Gothitelle tried her best to block the incoming strikes, but she could not keep up as she took a hard punch to her chest. And it only got worse from there as Smeargle sent twenty more punches into her, soon striking her with all three tails and sending her flying back.

Mawile gasped and whimpered, "Are you okay?" the goth taking many deep breaths and saying, "Yes, I'll be fine."

However, Gothitelle had never been more unsure of something she had said before in her life. At this point, it seemed like the beagle might very well have been beyond saving. The only way to help him see the light was to beat some sense into him and the goth planned to do just that.


	22. Chapter 22

So far, things seemed to be going badly for the Queens of Darkness. While each girl had performed well upon first entering the ring, her early advantage had been followed up by an extreme amount of pain from the opponent. However, with Smeargle in the ring, could the girls even get the advantage back?

The crowd was very unsure of this as just from one move from Smeargle, Gothitelle already looked badly beaten. However, the goth had been taught to ignore extreme pain, to treat it like a minor inconvenience. And as such, she held up her hands as energy once again surrounded them.

Smeargle turned his gaze over to Florges and smirked, almost as if to rub his new power in her face. This only made the flower girl want him to lose more as she thought, 'Please, Gothitelle! I want my friend back!'

All the while, Hoopa grinned and squealed, "I almost forgot how proud of Vespiquen I am! She's done such a good job with this one!"

With that, Gothitelle rushed at Smeargle. Just as the beagle was ready to counter, she stopped her attack and swerved to the right. Smeargle followed her movements as she moved again, the audience rather confused by this.

'I need to make sure he can't respond at all,' the goth thought, 'I hate to say it, but I simply can't allow myself to take in more damage. He's unbelievably strong, much more of a threat than Vespiquen.'

And after shifting around enough, Smeargle was starting to lose focus as the goth saw the opportunity, forming two blue energy blobs around her hands as she stated, "Now that you're no longer watching me, you can't copy this," and thus the goth sent both of her palms hard into Smeargle's cheek, shouting, "PSYSHOCK!"

The crowd went wild as the beagle flew away from her, hitting the turnbuckle hard as Nori exclaimed, "And after lowering her opponent's defences, Gothitelle makes up for the damage dealt to her earlier with her infamous Psyshock!"

However, after witnessing the beagle stand up after all the damage he had taken in during his match with the Fiery Beauties, Gothitelle knew this would not be enough. And just as she suspected, he easily recovered from the hit, rubbing his cheek with a smirk.

"Pas mal," Smeargle said, "Your Psyshock is quite a force to be reckoned with, but compared to the moves Mademoiselle Gardevoir used on me, this is but a joke."

The crowd gasped as Machoke uttered, "Is he serious?" Reika sighing, "Well, you can't deny Gothitelle doesn't quite have Gardevoir's physical strength."

"That's true," Cici stated, "That's why she's relying on strategy. If she keeps this up, she might actually win."

The odds of that happening seemed to dwindle when Beedrill rang the bell, stating, "And the five minutes are up, folks! Time for the tornado tag portion of this match!" the crowd cheering wildly as Vespiquen entered the ring, saying, "It's a shame you let yourself fall victim to that move, but you clearly dealt more damage than she did, so good job all the same," the beagle grinning at her.

Mawile crawled under the rope into the ring, Gothitelle asking, "How are you, Wendy?" the hair giving her a low growl as Mawile smiled lightly and said, "Mommy's fine. She just needed a little rest."

Gothitelle breathed a sigh of relief as she said, "Good, because I might need your help."

"You hear that?" Vespiquen remarked, holding her hands against her side with a chuckle, "Even Gothitelle knows that you can't possibly fight us without that abomination of yours."

Machoke gritted his teeth and growled, "That girl pisses me off," Talonflame asking, "Be honest, guys, was I this bad?"

However, it seemed the bee's words no longer had any effect as Mawile sighed, "You're absolutely right," the bee blinking as the girl added, "Without Mommy, I wouldn't be strong enough to fight you let alone anyone else, but she also needs me for movement. I'm the one who gets her close enough to attack you. In that sense, we still make for a very good team," the ponytail grinning and letting out happy grunts and growls.

Some members of the crowd cheered for the girl as Vespiquen sighed, "You won't be so tough when we put her out of commission again," only for Mawile to give Gothitelle a serious look, saying, "Now."

The goth nodded and lifted her ally up by her hind legs, swinging her around while the crowd stared. Mawile then tucked her upper body in to resemble a flail with her mother at the ready, Gothitelle flinging her toward Vespiquen as the two exclaimed, "ALLIGATOR JAW FLAIL!"

Vespiquen braced herself only for Smeargle to get in the way, the ponytail opening her jaws and clamping them hard onto his head. Mawile's fans cheered as blood squirted out of the indents that formed, Smeargle gritting his teeth as Vespiquen blinked, Gothitelle smiling lightly. That went better than she had planned.

Or at least it seemed that way until Smeargle placed his hands firmly against the sides of the ponytail's mouth, forcing it open with so much ease, it looked like no effort had been put into it whatsoever. And it only got worse as he said, "By the way, thanks for showing me your signature move back there."

Mawile's eyes widened as the tips of Smeargle's tails came together to form a bigger paintbrush, the brush coming open to reveal a mouth with a set of razor sharp teeth. The crowd gasped as the mouth bit down on Mawile's mother, the ponytail whimpering as Smeargle threw his tails back, slamming Mawile's back hard against the mat and shouting, "ALLIGATOR JAW SUPLEX!"

Some members of the crowd cheered wildly for Smeargle while others looked beyond concerned, Nori stating, "And Smeargle has just expertly used Mawile's own finishing move to damage both her and her mother at the same time!" Beedrill groaning, "I know this is a fight between heroes, but that was painful to watch."

Gothitelle gritted her teeth before charging at the beagle only for Vespiquen to get in the way, unleashing her bees again. However, the goth knew exactly what to expect as she tried to dodge only for Smeargle to dash behind her, wrapping his arms around her and taking to the sky.

"It would seem Smeargle plans to use one of the three moves he learned from sketching Gardevoir!" Nori exclaimed as the beagle flipped himself one-hundred and eighty degrees, spinning while wind surrounded him. He then smirked and exclaimed, "THAT'S RIGHT! I HOPE GARDEVOIR IS CONSCIOUS ENOUGH TO SEE THIS IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I WANT HER TO SEE HOW MUCH SHE HAS HELPED MOI!"

Florges gritted her teeth, thinking, 'Lucky for him, she's still unconscious! If she really did witness this, I'd go in there and teach him a lesson! I don't care if it's a violation of the rules!'

Gothitelle was truly frightened now as Smeargle exclaimed, "TORNADO BUSTER!" slamming her skull hard against the canvas, the goth coughing up blood as her eyes and mouth were wide open, the beagle releasing his hold and allowing her to collapse.

Smeargle's fans cheered him on while everyone else stared in silence, Machoke breaking that as he uttered, "She's gonna be okay, right?" a look of terror in his eyes.

One thing was for certain and it was that both Queens of Darkness were unconscious. As such, Nori started up the ten count as Vespiquen implied a light smile, saying, "Excellent work, Smeargle. You performed even better this time around."

But just as Nori reached six, Mawile had finally recovered from the damage dealt earlier, breathing heavily as she stared at her ally, her eyes wide open with fear. Sure, she was still standing, but could she possibly hold her own against these two?

Even the audience was unsure of this as Vespiquen turned and said, "You should have stayed down," Smeargle ready to finish what he had started only for the bee to hold out her arm, adding, "As a fellow hero, though, I know how to be merciful. You are the youngest fighter in this tournament. While everyone else is either fifteen of sixteen, you are merely thirteen. Not only that, but you are not exactly the most physically fit for this sort of thing."

Mawile bit her lower lip, the bee adding, "As such, I will give you the option to surrender. If you forfeit right now, you and your teammate will be spared from further pain."

The girl's eyes widened as she had no idea what to do right now. On one hand, it would be disgraceful to give up, but on the other hand, she did not wish to see Gothitelle suffer any longer. Besides, the two had actually made it past the first round. That was more than Mawile had actually expected to pull off.

Even her mother was unsure of how to respond to this. She had full confidence in her daughter, but on the other hand, she did not wish to see her hospitalized.

But just as Mawile was about to agree to Vespiquen's terms, she noticed Gothitelle's hand start to twitch, a serious look forming as she squeaked, "No!"

Many members of the audience gasped as she added, "You're right, I'm not even sure if I can win this, but I'm not going down without a fight! Gothitelle would have fought to the bitter end no matter what and I plan to do the same!"

Mawile's mother proceeded to let out low growling sounds with a big grin, the girl beaming with pride as Vespiquen folded her arms and sighed, "Alright, but remember, this is your decision."

With that in mind, the bee flew toward Mawile with her claws at the ready only for her to dodge to the right, her mother latching onto her arm. Vespiquen winced from the pain as Mawile proceeded to spin her body around, swinging her opponent as Smeargle rushed toward her. Luckily, though, this was exactly what Mawile hoped he would do as when he got close enough, her mother released her hold thus sending Vespiquen head-first into her ally, Smeargle grunting as he fell on his back.

The crowd cheered for the girl as she leapt high into the air, spinning vertically above the two and flipping herself upside-down. Her mother than opened and curved her mouth just enough for her front jaws to point outward, Mawile descending toward the Elegant Warriors and shouting, "ALLIGATOR WARHEAD!"

And with that, the jaws rammed hard into Vespiquen's gut as she coughed up a bit of green blood, Smeargle taking in slight pain from this as well. The crowd cheered even louder as Mawile leapt away from the two, noticing Gothitelle starting to gain more movement back as she smiled lightly, feeling quite proud of herself for at least pulling off this much.

"Wow!" Nori exclaimed with a big grin, "I don't think anyone expected this, but Mawile has managed to hold her own against the Elegant Warriors with two very simple yet effective moves!"

However, just as expected, this was nowhere near good enough to defeat her opponents as Vespiquen slowly but surely positioned herself upright, dusting off her abdomen as if it was an actual dress. And Smeargle soon rose to his feet as well, glaring angrily at Mawile.

'Non!' Florges thought with a look of disappointment, 'I knew that wouldn't be enough to finish them off, but I was really hoping it would be!'

Before Smeargle could attempt revenge, his eyes widened as he received multiple blows to the back, the crowd cheering once more when they saw Gothitelle was the one behind it. As it just so happened, she had recovered at this exact moment and was sending an onslaught of palm punches into the beagle.

'I won't let up!' she thought with a look of determination, 'This guy is clearly too strong! I can't allow him to land another hit!'

Smeargle's tails started to shift as the goth realized she would need to end her attack. As such, she dealt two hard palm punches into the back of his head, sending the beagle flying forward as he fell flat on his face, the crowd going wild as Nori exclaimed, "As if Mawile's comeback wasn't impressive enough, Gothitelle makes an incredible recovery and deals even more damage to Smeargle!"

"Yeah, way to go, girls!" Machoke exclaimed with a big smile, Octillery clapping and adding, "Good show! You two are awesome!"

Vespiquen narrowed her eyelids and wasted no time unleashing her bees, saying, "I'm impressed the two of you actually managed to pull off such a miracle, but I assure you it won't last," three bees flying toward each girl.

Mawile attempted to dodge but unlike before, the she was the one bound by the strings as opposed to her mother. And while Gothitelle had recovered, it had taken a lot out of her just to unleash all of those palm punches to Smeargle and thus she found herself caught as well. And despite only three strings being used on each girl this time, it still proved effective as Vespiquen spun her body around, swinging both of them while Smeargle recovered just in time to witness this.

"ATTACK ORDER CAROUSEL!" the bee exclaimed as she flew over to the nearest turnbuckle, ramming Gothitelle's head and Mawile's mother repeatedly against it while her fans cheered for her, Beedrill shouting, "Would you look at that onslaught!? After taking in a surprising amount of pain earlier, Vespiquen plans to end it all for good!"

While taking in the multiple blows, Gothitelle's eyes turned violet as she gritted her teeth, a dark aura resonating from her. Everyone stared in confusion as she lifted up her hands as high as they could go, taking hold of Vespiquen's strings before applying enough force to stop her from swinging them.

The bee's eyes widened as she soon found herself flung into the turnbuckle, the Queens of Darkness freed from their bindings as the aura left the goth. Gothitelle then sported a light smile and thought, 'I finally did it. I finally unleashed my family's hidden power.'

However, it seemed this was not enough as Smeargle growled and exclaimed, "Alright, you've proven yourself to be more of a nuisance than I first thought! As such, I'll deal with you first!"

And it seemed he might just be able to do that as Mawile stroked her mother with concern, whimpering, "Mommy? Are you okay?" the ponytail not even moving now. Her mouth was stuck hanging open while panic filled the girl.

Even Octillery was concerned as she uttered, "Oh no, is she going to be okay?" Kecleon shaking his head and replying, "I don't know. I've never actually seen someone successfully knock out her hair before. I mean, apparently Gothitelle managed to do it, but I didn't witness that."

However, the goth noticed Vespiquen seemed to be struggling to get up as she said, "Don't worry, Mawile, I'll do my best," her purple spheres appearing around her hands once more.

Panic soon rose among her fans, Machoke wanting even less to face Smeargle in the semi-finals as suddenly, the paintbrush tips on his tails opened up, revealing big fountain pen tips. As if he had not already been scary enough, now he had a sharp weapon to use on his opponents.

Gothitelle was actually frightened and had trouble hiding it as Smeargle smirked, saying, "You know, Gothitelle, I'm a tad disappointed that you of all heroes wound up being my opponent for the second round," many confused by this.

The goth tried her hardest to look like this did not offend her, but the beagle saw right through this as he added, "First of all, your fighting style is, how you say, predictable. Your moves lack variety. But what's more is that you act all tough and uncaring in the face of danger when deep down, you're just as scared as your much younger and more openly-sensitive partner."

Mawile stared wide-eyed as Smeargle added, "I will say this, you were right when you told Mawile that she was still good enough to keep fighting. While it is true her mother is the key to all of her attacks, at least the moves she can dish out are impressive and even unpredictable at times. And like you said, part of the reason her mother's moves work so well is because Mawile adds her own strength to make each one more effective."

The crowd was unsure where this was going as Vespiquen slowly recovered, hearing this and wondering the same thing herself, the beagle adding, "In fact, if it weren't for little Mawile, you wouldn't have even made it to the first round, let alone past it!"

Many people were mortified to hear this, though they had trouble arguing against it. Florges bit her lower lip as Machoke spat, "DON'T LET HIM TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT!"

"See that?" Smeargle remarked, "Only your friends are willing to stick up for you right now, but deep down, even they know that I speak the truth. Your powers of darkness might make your palm punches strong, but when that is literally the only form of attack you have, it makes you extremely predictable."

Gothitelle gritted her teeth, trying her hardest not to let his words get under her skin as the beagle added, "It is said that you defeated Mawile in the Reverse World, but let me ask you something? Did you actually knock her out?"

Gothitelle let out a sigh and replied, "No. I knocked out her mother and then she gave up after that, but not because her mother was unconscious. It was because I managed to talk some sense into her," Mawile biting her lower lip, remembering all of that perfectly.

"I was right, you are weak," Smeargle remarked with a smirk before sending the now-sharp tips of his tails toward her at a rapid pace, barking, "TRIPLE TAIL PEN BARRAGE!"

The goth tried her hardest to block the incoming strikes with her hands, but each time, the pen tips would leave big holes in her palms. Eventually, she could no longer handle the pain as she dropped her guard, taking in multiple stabs to her torso, her dress ripped in quite a few areas.

Needless to say, many members of the crowd were horrified at the sight of this as Octillery spat, "COME ON, KEEP FIGHTING!" as another member of the crowd barked, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, MAWILE!? HELP YOUR PARTNER!"

'That's right!' the girl thought with her eyes wide open before charging forward, thinking, 'Mommy may not be able to help me, but I can still-' only for her train of thought to end when Vespiquen flew hard into her with her elbow planted into her gut.

She then unleashed her bees once more as Mawile found herself bound, Vespiquen saying, "That's enough, Smeargle. Let's end this," the beagle ending his tail assault and nodding.

With that, he performed a handstand and wrapped his left and right tails around Gothitelle's arms, leaping backward thus hurling the goth over his head. And once she was close enough, Vespiquen flipped her own body all the way around, swinging Mawile hard into Gothitelle's head, the Elegant Warriors shouting, "ATTACK ARMY!"

With that, both Mawile and Gothitelle were out cold as Nori started the ten count, Machoke getting up and shouting, "HEY, GET UP, YOU GUYS!" Octillery and Kecleon doing the same.

Many members of the crowd cheered for the Queens of Darkness including Machoke's friends, but ultimately, neither were able to get up by the ten count as Nori rang the bell, exclaiming, "And after a rather intense match, this victory goes to the Elegant Warriors!"

Smeargle's fans gave a loud cheer as everyone else was naturally mortified. Once again, this had been one of the most brutal losses the crowd had witnessed as Gothitelle was bleeding all over, Mawile and her mother unable to move.

"GOTHITELLE!" Machoke spat as he got up from his seat and ran toward the ring, Aipom joining him as Florges looked down, getting up from her seat and slowly heading toward the exit. It was official. Smeargle was lost to her now.

As Machoke approached his friend, he looked at her with concern and uttered, "Uh, you okay there?" Gothitelle giving him a light smile and uttering, "You can defeat him. I'm sure... sure of it," the goth letting out a light cough before losing all consciousness.

Machoke was horrified beyond compare as medics came in to load the goth onto a stretcher. Aipom looked at the boy with concern and bit her lower lip. She had thought quite a bit about Machoke's predicament regarding the next match and now she was certain she had come up with a solution.

And as the boy watched Gothitelle and Mawile leave the area, Octillery frowning and said, "I'll be sure to win my next match for you, just you wait!" Aipom patting Machoke on the back and saying, "Hey, don't worry about the next match."

The boy turned to her as she gave him a light smile, saying, "I promise that come the day of the semi-finals, I'll have a new partner for you. I know exactly who to turn to," Machoke's eyes widening as a big grin formed.

"You're the best trainer a guy like me could ever have!" he exclaimed as he picked her up for a tight embrace, Aipom's eyes widening as she wheezed, "Can't breathe!"

But as happy as the boy was to hear these words, he still hoped Gothitelle and Mawile would be okay. After all, their beating actually looked more brutal than what Gardevoir and Blaziken dealt with.

With that, Beedrill cleared his throat and stated, "Well, that wraps up the second match of the day. As such, there will be an hour-long break before the next match. You may all go and do whatever you wish, but remember to be back soon."

With that, the crowd got up to exit the area, Scyther and Talonflame once again ready to train. They would get in as much preparation as possible for their match as they knew just how strong Hoopa and Diancie were.

Of course, Octillery and Kecleon would use this time to hone their skills as well while Heracross and Lopunny did the same. Sure, they would be going up against friends, but neither team would dare take the other lightly. At this time, each team would treat the other like strangers and do the best they could to win.


	23. Chapter 23

With the second round over, everyone was ready for a long break. Though Machoke really hoped that his new partner would be amazing as he certainly needed this.

As he and his friends were enjoying some downtime, Reika and Tsuya having once again left the group to check up on Scyther and Talonflame, Florges approached the boy and tapped him on the shoulder. Machoke turned to look at her with a light smile, saying, "Oh, hey there, Florges."

The flower girl gave him a sweet smile and said, "Just to let you know, I'm gonna take off to check up on Gardevoir and Masquerain, but I have something I need to ask you first," the boy almost one-hundred percent certain he knew where this was going, the others thinking the same thing.

Placing a firm grip on the boy's shoulders, Florges looked deep into his eyes and asked, "Can you promise me that you will defeat Smeargle in the semi-finals? If there is anyone in this tournament I truly believe can pull this off, it's you."

Machoke was uncertain of whether or not he could really promise such a thing. Sure, he had dealt with insanely powerful opponents before. He had made a big name for himself by saving the world from Giratina all on his own. If anything, he truly did seem like the perfect fighter for this.

But even so, Smeargle in his current state terrified the boy, more so than any other opponent he had ever faced. Talonflame seemed like a joke in comparison and Lucario during the Olympics, despite so far being the only fighter to defeat Machoke under fair circumstances was nowhere near as intimidating. But even so, Machoke had promised Gardevoir that he would make up for her and Blaziken's loss prior to this moment.

As such, a confident smile formed on his face as he nodded and stated, "I promise," Florges giving him a light smile of her own and shaking his hand with both of hers, sighing, "Merci beaucoup. Gardevoir really is lucky to have you."

Gallade and Cici both smiled warmly at this as Hitmonchan sighed, "Good old Machoke," before looking around and asking, "By the way, where did Aipom go?"

"She said she was gonna meet up with my new partner," Machoke replied as Gallade shrugged and replied, "Well, good to know you'll have someone to fight alongside you. You're awesome, but let's face it, you'll need all the help you can get."

"Yeah, don't remind me," Machoke sighed with his eyelids lowered.

And during this time, Aipom had walked quite a ways from the Tokyo Dome, the monkey letting out a sigh and reaching into a handbag she had brought with her. She then pulled out her cellphone and dialled a few numbers with her tail finger, holding the phone up to her ear and biting her lower lip. She could not believe she was doing this, but why? What was she up to that made her so nervous?

After a few seconds, the monkey got a response as a familiar voice came from the other line, asking, "Hello, who may I ask is calling?" Aipom taking a deep breath and replying, "Hey, Mommy. How are you?"

"Why, hello, Aipom!" the older monkey, Ambipom, exclaimed with the biggest grin, "I'm doing just peachy! I've had so many students surprise me this year, you wouldn't believe it!"

Aipom smiled lightly and replied, "That's good to hear," before sighing and biting her lower lip, Ambipom asking, "So, why did you call me? It sounds like you have more in mind than smalltalk."

"Yeah," the younger monkey replied, "See, I've just made the most extreme decision that I've probably ever made. You've watched Machoke's matches on TV, right?"

"Oh, yes," Ambipom replied, "Wouldn't miss that for a second. After all, he's your student," Aipom sighing, "Well, not so much anymore. I've seen him really work well on his own lately, but as you're probably aware, his partner in today's match, Golduck, won't be able to fight."

"Oh yes, I saw that," the older monkey stated with a frown, "That Ditta had no right using such a horrible technique, especially since it's not even her own."

"Well, Machoke really needs a new partner, and I want him to have the best partner he could possibly have for this match," Aipom replied, "There are options, but I'm not sure if any of his other friends can really help him that much. Gallade's fine, but you've seen his track record. Hitmonchan I'm not so sure about, Barbaracle I haven't seen lately and, well, Hawlucha's still in the hospital."

"Oh my, that is quite the dilemma," Ambipom replied with a nod, "But I'm guessing you've chosen a replacement partner, right?" Aipom sighing, "Actually, I have an idea, but I want to know if it's a good one."

Ambipom was all ears now as Aipom had trouble letting the words out. After roughly twenty seconds, she uttered, "I plan on being Machoke's partner in the semi-finals."

Aipom expected at least silence on the other end but was shocked when Ambipom squealed with excitement, replying, "Oh my god, I am so proud of you! I can't imagine a better partner for Machoke right now!"

The younger monkey went silent. She could not believe it. Her mother truly thought this was a good idea? Heck, Aipom herself was unsure of whether or not this was the best decision, so to get so much support from Ambipom amazed her to no end.

"Wow, thanks," Aipom said with a light smile, "It's great that you think so, but honestly, I'm not sure if I'm really ready for this," Ambipom sighing, "Well, you may be right about that."

Aipom was now confused as she remarked, "Didn't you just say I was the best pick?" Ambipom replying, "Of course, but knowing a lot about fighting and having actual experience are two completely different things. What I mean is that you're not ready yet, but I know three heroes who can help you. They taught me how to fight when I needed help and I can guarantee they will help you in time for the semi-finals."

Aipom's eyes sparkled as Ambipom added, "Luckily for you, they live in a dojo located within Tokyo, so it won't take you a long time to find them."

And with that, Ambipom gave her the address. After having lived in Tokyo for as long as she had, Aipom knew exactly where to go as she gave her mother a big 'thank you'. There was no way she would let Machoke down.

Meanwhile, Florges was about to exit the dome when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She slowly turned to see Smeargle standing right there as a look of panic formed on her face.

"Look, Smeargle, I'm not going to try and convince you to stop what you're doing anymore," she protested as the beagle took hold of her neck, remarking, "Oh, I don't care about that! You can try and convince me this is wrong all you want, but I won't let your words get to moi!"

Now Florges was confused as she hacked a bit, grunting, "Then why are you-?" only for Smeargle to smirk and remark, "Because Vespiquen tells me that you are still a threat to moi. As such, I can't feel at ease unless you're in the hospital too."

Florges' eyes widened as he added, "I would kill you, but we have history. Not even I would go so far as to end the life of a former friend. It's not in my nature."

While it was reassuring to know a small part of his old personality was still there, Smeargle still terrified Florges as she put on a serious look. With that in mind, she formed a vine around each of her arms, forming two lances as she snapped, "I just want to visit Masquerain in the hospital! You can't stop moi from doing that!"

With that, she jabbed both vines into the beagle's shoulders only for Smeargle to ignore the pain, smirking and saying, "I'm afraid you have no choice," as he leaned backward, planting the back of her neck into the floor, causing her to remove the vines.

And it did not end there as he proceeded to strike her multiple times with the tips of his tails, covering her in holes as he laughed hysterically, shouting, "DO YOU FEEL IT, MADEMOISELLE FLORGES!? THIS IS HOW IT FELT TO SUFFER NOTHING BUT TERRIBLE PAIN WITHOUT ANY WAY TO DEFEND MYSELF EVERY SINGLE TIME I STEPPED INTO THE RING! YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER LOST A MATCH BEFORE!"

Green blood splattered from inside of the flower girl as she trembled and uttered, "I know you were weak before, but I never stopped believing in you," Smeargle retorting, "SHUT UP, YOU LIAR!" the beagle lifting her up with his tails and turning her so her back was facing him.

He then wrapped his left and right tails around her hand while binding her legs with the lower one, pulling hard and shouting, "BEAGLE BACKBREAKER!" as he applied a great deal of force.

A loud crack could be heard as Florges' eyes and mouth were wide with both agony and shock. With that, Smeargle released his hold and allowed her to collapse, the flower girl out cold.

Smeargle folded his arms and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, someone will come by and get you medical attention," before smirking and adding, "It's pretty funny, actually. Now you're the one getting treatment."

After roughly thirty minutes, the crowd had returned to their seats. Sure, they had another ten minutes left, but they did not wish to risk being late for the next match. Though Machoke at the very least was looking more forward to this match as the two teams competing were good friends, therefor neither side would show malice toward the other.

And while the crowd waited, Aipom had arrived at the dojo she was headed for. Luckily for her, it was not particularly far from the Tokyo Dome and thus she was able to make it quickly. As such, the monkey took a deep breath and put on a serious look, saying, "Alright, Mom, I'm ready," as she proceeded toward the front door.

Back at the Tokyo Dome, the crowd was settled as Nori exclaimed, "Alright, folks, it's time for the third match to begin! I have to say, this has been a very exciting round so far, but can it possibly get more intense!? Well, we might just get our answer soon enough!"

With that, the woman pointed at the Western entrance, stating, "In the red corner, despite both having a massive strength difference, the two actually work really well as was shown in their previous match. With great strength and cunning, the Vanishing Muscles!"

The crowd cheered until they noticed Octillery attempting one of Machoke's typical entrances. The octopus was riding on a unicycle with Kecleon balanced atop her head, the chameleon groaning, "Look at those stares. I told you this was a bad idea."

"These entrances always seem to help Machoke," the octopus replied, "Perhaps they'll do the same for us!" before leaping off of the unicycle and landing on her two middle tentacles and holding out her others, some members of the crowd clapping.

Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "That was actually pretty cool!" the octopus shooting him a light smile and thinking, 'Good to know he approves.'

"And in the blue corner," Nori stated, "these two are also different when it comes to strength but work just as well as a team. With speed and muscle, these two are sure to blow us away once more, and they are none other than the Bouncing Biceps!"

The crowd cheered including Gallade, the boy saying, "I hope those two win," Hitmonchan nodding and replying, "After the way they beat us, I want to at least see them make it to the semi-finals."

And sure enough, their entrance was rather grand, though since the two had more time to prepare, they managed to assemble a float complete with hired dancers, all of them dancing along to an Egyptian beat while Lopunny, sporting her finest dress, performed a snake dance. Heracross, meanwhile, impressed the crowd by carrying the float all by himself atop his horn, showing the crowd just how strong he truly was, a big grin on his face.

Once the two were close enough, the beetle set the float down as he and Lopunny leapt into the ring with their arms out, Machoke grinning even wider as he exclaimed, "I can't tell a lie! That was also beyond cool!" Lopunny chuckling as Heracross sighed, "You know, I'd say he's been a bad influence on you, but your entrances are always at least more graceful than his."

All the while, Aipom had wandered the halls of the dojo for a bit before reaching the training room, biting her lower lip nervously before sliding the door open. She then noticed the instructors her mother had spoken of, three monkeys in their forties to be exact.

The first of this trio was a rather flabby monkey with cream-coloured fur on his torso save for his hip area, fingers and toes. The rest of him was covered in red fur. His tail resembled a long puff of smoke and puffy white tufts of fur surrounded his shoulders. Finally, atop his head was fur that resembled a campfire. For some reason, his eyes were closed shut despite the others having their eyes open.

Another one was taller and more slender with with the cream colour in the same places, only the area around his mouth also had the same colour. The rest of him was covered in green fur that was shaped to resemble grass. Atop his head was a bush-like crest that resembled a pompadour and more pointy white fur on his shoulders. His tail was more like a normal monkey tail save for the tip, which had leaf-like formations on it.

The last of the trio had her cream-coloured fur on her arms, legs and tail, save for the tip. The rest of her was covered in blue fur, with that of her torso resembling a dress. The fur atop her head resembled dreadlocks, each lock coiled up at the bottom. And to top it off, the tip of her tail had a blue plume that resembled a water spout.

Upon seeing the girl, the green one smiled lightly and said, "Oh, hello there, Miss. I can't remember the last time someone came here," the blue one giving her a light wave before pulling out a chalkboard, writing 'Hello' on it and turning it forward so Aipom could read it.

"You're right," the red one stated, turning toward the green monkey, "It's been over ten years since someone came here," before turning to face Aipom and saying, "State your name and business."

The purple monkey blinked, find it rather odd that the red monkey could see with his eyes closed like that. However, she nodded and replied, "My name's Aipom. I was told that you all helped my mom become a really good fighter in her youth. Her name's Ambipom. Do you remember her?"

"Oh, did you hear that?" the red monkey replied with a grin, turning to the green one who stared at him as he sighed, "Oh, that's right, of course you didn't."

"So you do remember my mom?" Aipom asked as the blue monkey nodded with a big smile, pulling out her chalkboard and writing on it before turning around and revealing the message 'Oh yes, she was our best, most prominent and only student.'

"A bit of a live-wire, she was," the green monkey added with a grin as Aipom blinked, uttering, "I'm confused. Didn't your ally just say you couldn't hear me say that?"

"Yes, that's why I read lip movements," the green one replied, the monkey now confused as the red one sighed, "Guess we may as well introduce ourselves so she gets the idea."

With that in mind, the red monkey rose to his feet and folded his arms, saying, "A pleasure to meet you, daughter of Ambipom. I am Simisear, the monkey warrior of fire," the green one rising up and adding, "And I am Simisage, the monkey warrior of grass."

The blue monkey then rose up and wrote on her chalkboard again, pointing it toward Aipom as it said 'And I am Simipour, the monkey warrior of water,' before writing down another message and holding it up as all three struck cool poses while Simisear and Simisage exclaimed, "We are the three wise simians!"

Simisear's ear twitched as he asked, "Why don't I hear the background music?" Simipour quickly writing down 'Sorry' before tapping her foot against a small button in front of her, a party ball coming down from the ceiling above them and releasing streamers, a nineties J-pop song playing in the background as Simisear groaned, "It's too late now!" slapping his forehead.

Aipom was rather confused by all of this. Were these three really great masters of fighting? They hardly seemed fit for it. And it was not just their weird attempt at looking cool while introducing themselves that made her curious, either. Something else struck her right off the bat.

"Oh, I think I just realized what's going on!" the purple monkey exclaimed, pointing at Simisear and stating, "You're blind," pointing at Simisage and adding, "You're deaf," then directing her attention to Simipour and saying, "And you can't talk."

Simipour nodded with a big smile, Simisear replying, "Well, that should have been obvious from the get-go, but hey, no one picks up on everything right away, am I right?" shrugging his shoulders.

However, upon realizing she was right, Aipom was not so sure about this now as she looked down, uttering, "Does that mean you can't help me?" Simisage unable to see her lips this time as he uttered, "What did she say?"

"Trust me, you don't need to worry about that," Simisear replied, "We were born like this. If we were able to teach your mother how to fight years ago in our condition, we can teach you how to fight," Aipom's eyes sparkling.

Despite their disabilities, the trio seemed more than capable just from their confidence alone. Perhaps this could all work out in her favour.

Back in the Tokyo Dome, both Kecleon and Lopunny looked like they had dealt quite a bit of damage to one-another earlier as each was on the sidelines, Octillery and Heracross now going at it. The octopus spun her body around, sending her tentacles at Heracross while the beetle held up his arms. He took in some slight pain to them, but this did prevent him from taking in extreme damage.

"Octillery has Heracross on the defensive as she sends an onslaught of tentacle slaps his way," Nori stated, "Surely the kabuto can't keep that up forever."

'You're right, lass,' the beetle thought with a smirk as he saw an opening, his horn glowing as he sent it hard into Octillery's skull, shouting, "MEGAHORN!"

The crowd cheered for him as the octopus groaned in pain, rubbing her head and leaping away from him to keep her distance. Now she needed a new tactic as Kecleon asked, "You okay?" the octopus nodding and replying, "Come on, you know I can take much more than this."

With that in mind, the octopus lunged at Heracross again as the beetle readied his horn. But just was he was about to strike, Octillery leapt over his head, landing behind him before wrapping her tentacles around his arms and legs, pulling hard on them while the crowd cheered for her now, Heracross gritting his teeth with his eyes wide open.

While this went on, Aipom sat before the monkey trio as Simisear asked, "So, little one, why is it that you seek our help? Has a great evil risen up? When Ambipom turned to us, that was her reason. She wished to fight alongside her pupil, Machamp, to help put an end to the mighty Groudon and his allies."

"Well, this is so I can help Machamp's son, Machoke," Aipom replied as Simipour wrote on her chalkboard, turning it toward the younger monkey so she could see 'This villain must be terrible for him to need your help' written on it.

"That's the thing, I'm not even sure," Aipom replied, "The thing is, he's currently fought through the first two rounds of the Ultimate World Team Tournament. He's done a good job, but both of his partners have been badly injured and won't be able to fight alongside him. I figure I would be the best replacement, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough yet."

"Well, much like Ambipom, it is admirable that you realized teaching someone to fight and actually fighting yourself are two different things," Simisear replied with his arms folded, "But on the other hand, this is a very shallow reason to fight. Truth be told, we've never seen the importance of tournaments. All they do is make a show out of what's supposed to be a serious career."

Simisage nodded and added, "Yes, we see no reason to help. I'm sure his next opponent will be really powerful, but if he loses this match, it won't be the end of the world."

Aipom's eyes widened as she whimpered, "But Mom said you'd be happy to help," Simisear retorting, "Well, clearly she doesn't know us as well as she thinks. I'm sure this is all really important to you, but we really couldn't care less about something so trivial as a fight between heroes."

Aipom bit her lower lip as light tears rolled down her cheeks. Simisage and Simipour actually looked a tad guilty for agreeing with Simisear now, but the red monkey would not allow himself to be swayed by the sounds of crying. He merely saw it as an act of immaturity and thus, he waved his hand at Aipom to signal her to leave.

However, Aipom realized she could not let this go as she put on a serious look and retorted, "You know what!? Fine, I'll go train myself! I bet you three aren't even as good as they say! I mean, how are you supposed to be masters of fighting if you can't even use all the senses!?"

Simisage clasped his hands over his mouth, Simipour drawing a pair of wide eyes on her chalkboard and holding it in front of her face. Simisear, meanwhile, frowned as this seemed to get under his skin, the red monkey rising to his feet and grunting, "You underestimate our skills!? Alright, we'll show you exactly what we're made of! If you can beat each one of us individually with no breaks between fights, we'll teach you everything you need to know! But if you lose, we never want to see you again!"

Simisage and Simipour gave their brother an odd look as he growled, "Right!?" the two nodding as Simisage faked a grin, saying, "Uh, yeah, of course."

'No breaks?' Aipom thought with a look of terror in her eyes, Simisage not sure whether to point this out to his brother or not.

However, the purple monkey knew she would have to do this if she was to ever be worthy of fighting alongside Machoke. She had just convinced Simisear to give her a chance. There was no way she would pass this up, and thus she sported a more serious look and bowed her head.


	24. Chapter 24

It would not be long until both teams were to join each-other, but at the moment, things were starting to look surprisingly favourable for the Vanishing Muscles as Octillery rammed her head hard into Heracross' chest while covered in ink. The beetle fell hard on his back as the crowd cheered, Nori stating, "And Octillery's Octazooka continues to pack a punch!"

And it did not stop there as the octopus leapt high above him, pointing two of her tentacles toward his head while spinning in mid-air. And before Heracross could even respond, he took both tentacles to the gut, crying out in pain as Lopunny squeaked, "Are you okay, Heracross!?"

At that moment, the bell rang as Beedrill exclaimed, "And it would seem the tornado tag portion has begun!" Lopunny wasting no time leaping into the ring and propelling herself toward Octillery, sending both of her feet hard into her back while her fans cheered.

Seeing this, Kecleon wasted no time whipping out his tongue and binding it to her right ear only for the rabbit to stand on the tips of her feet, twirling while swinging the chameleon into the turnbuckle. The crowd once again went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And Lopunny has given the advantage back to the Bouncing Biceps!" Heracross grinning and holding up the claw that represented a thumb.

While this went on, Aipom had gone to the dojo change room to ready herself for her first fight. She still could not believe that she had agreed to this as this felt extreme. Sure, these triplets were older and had likely gone the same route as Machamp and the other legends, having their strength lower with age. But on the other hand, fighting three of them in a row with no breaks was asking way too much, especially since she had no real combat experience up to this point. The closest she ever had was whenever she would catch Machoke in a hold during training and wait for him to get out of it.

But despite this, she had made a promise to herself. She was going to ensure that she could help Machoke to the best of her abilities. There was no way her pupil, no, her friend would fight alone in the semi-finals, especially when his opponents were this ruthless.

With that in mind, the purple monkey returned to the main fighting hall where the monkey siblings were waiting. Simisear and Simisage were off to the side while Simipour stood in a big square that represented a ring.

As she saw Aipom enter, she pulled out her chalkboard and wrote 'I'll be your first opponent' on it, showing the message to the smaller monkey as she nodded and bowed her head, saying, "I'll do my best," Simipour tossing her chalkboard toward Simisage who grabbed it with ease, a proud grin on his face. After all, the blue monkey would not need it for this fight.

Simisear folded his arms and stated, "Before you two begin, there's actually something I'd like you to know, Aipom," the smaller monkey blinking as he added, "Remember when I said you had to defeat all three of us? Well, that was kind of a lie."

Aipom blinked, staring in confusion as she remarked, "What do you mean?" the red monkey explaining, "See, you don't actually have to take us down. I only told you that to test whether or not you were willing to go through with this. No, you only have to hit each of us once."

"You're kidding, right?" Aipom uttered, not sure whether to be relieved by this or not until Simisage added, "Seeing as you're still young and have never been in a real fight, we feel it would be unfair to expect you to knock all three of us out with no time to rest. And trust me, we're not just going easy on you because of that. We did the exact same thing for Ambipom back in the day."

"Oh, okay," Aipom replied with a light nod and a small smile, "I get it now," before thinking, 'Well, it's not like this is the actual training. I'll breeze through this and gain the knowledge I need, I just know it.'

With that, Simipour sprinted toward Aipom as she put on a more serious look, her tail hand poised as she thought, 'This is pretty easy,' but as she clenched a fist and prepared for a punch, Simipour easily dashed behind her.

Before Aipom could even figure out what was going on, she took a fierce roundhouse to the back of her head, her eyes wide open. And it did not end there as Simipour released steam from her tail, ramming the tip hard into the purple monkey's back as she cried out in pain.

"Why does that hurt so much!?" Aipom screeched as Simisear explained, "Judging the sound of burning, I can only assume she just used Scald, one of her strongest moves. It allows her tail to heat up like a tea kettle so while powered by water, it can also burn whoever it touches."

'That's right,' Aipom thought as Simipour leapt back to keep her distance, 'Since she can't shout the names of her signature moves, it's hard to see them coming.'

Even so, the fight was far from over as Simipour rushed toward Aipom again, the purple monkey thinking, 'Come on, you've been giving advice for so long! You can do this!'

As the blue monkey closed in, Aipom sent a punch forward only for Simipour to dodge again. But Aipom saw this coming as she swung her tail sideways. But unfortunately for her, Simipour had seen this coming as well as she sent the tip of her tail into the fist. At first it seemed like an ordinary block, but just like before, it started to steam as Aipom cried out in pain.

With that, Simipour smiled lightly and proceeded to form water around her hands, Aipom turning toward her only to receive a hard palm punch to the face. And it only got worse as she took in a variety of the hits, Simisage looking at this with concern.

But just as it looked like Aipom would lose, she gritted her teeth and latched her tail hand onto the wrist of an incoming hand, using both of her hands to block the other one. Simipour's eyes widened as Aipom thought, 'Time to use the first signature move my mom ever used,' using all three hands to apply just enough force to lift Simipour over her head.

The blue monkey's eyes and mouth were wide with shock as Aipom exclaimed, "TRI-HAND SUPLEX!" slamming Simipour's head hard against the floor.

Simisage smiled and said, "Well, what do you know? She did it," explaining what he had just witnessed as Simisear nodded and stated, "Well, congratulations, Aipom. You passed the first round," before snapping his fingers and adding, "Well, Simisage, you're up."

"Oh boy!" the green monkey exclaimed with a grin as he rose to his feet, "I was hoping she'd make it this far!" Simipour rubbing her head as she rose to her feet, slowly exiting the fight area.

'I can't believe it!' Aipom thought, her eyes sparkling, 'I actually used one of Mom's finishing moves! And it worked on someone twice my size! That is so cool!' the monkey trying to contain her excitement.

While Machoke was certainly invested in the tournament match, Octillery swinging Kecleon hard into Lopunny's face while shouting, "OCTOPUS WRECKING BALL!" sending her flying into Heracross, the boy could not help but wonder why Aipom was taking so long. All she had set out to do was meet his new partner, right? That should not have taken so long.

Back at the dojo, Aipom stared at the green monkey before her, Simisage grinning and saying, "Well, you certainly did a good job back there, but let's see if you can land a hit on me. I'll warn you, I'm quite fast."

Aipom was already thinking up a strategy as she thought, 'Alright, Simipour's senses all worked perfectly fine. This guy on the other hand can't hear. As such, I'll have to evade his vision if I'm to strike him.'

However, before she could contemplate this further, her eyes widened when Simisage charged toward her at an incredible speed. Needless to say, he was not kidding when he boasted about his speed as he was much faster than Simipour.

And before Aipom could contemplate this further, she received a hard knee kick to her face, flying backward as Simisage rushed behind her, his leaves curling together to form what resembled a spearhead. With that, he exclaimed, "LEAF SPEAR!" sending it into the purple monkey's back, Aipom coughing up a bit of blood as she flew forward, falling hard on her face.

She could not believe this. Not only was Simisage lightning fast, but he also had a considerable amount of strength. Those two hits alone made her feel like giving up. Even with the damage dealt by Simipour earlier, she should not have felt this weak yet.

Simisage then approached her from behind, a light smile on his face as he said, "Sorry to do this, kid, but if I hold back, this won't be much of a test, will it?"

But just as he was about to strike her again, Aipom knew something she could do as she took hold of his ankle. Simisage's eyes widened as he reeled his leg back, sending her tumbling away from him. However, Aipom saw an opportunity now that she was behind the green monkey and as such, she used her tail hand to stop herself from tumbling along the floor.

And just as Simisage was about to turn and face Aipom, she quickly launched herself under his legs so she was behind him. The green monkey blinked and scratched the side of his head, uttering, "Where'd you go?" Aipom knowing she had him now as she knelt down, swinging her tail hand and sending a karate chop into his ankle.

With that, the green monkey turned as he groaned, "Aw, man! The least you could have done was use an advanced technique like you did against Simipour," Aipom nodding and replying, "True, but that would have been unnecessary for this kind of challenge."

"Well, she's right," Simisear remarked before rising to his feet and adding, "I guess that leaves me. I have to say, I'm impressed. It took Ambipom much longer to overcome Simisage, but you managed to do it in no time flat."

Although that was certainly refreshing to hear, Aipom was really starting to wonder if she could do this. She had taken in considerable damage from the previous monkeys already and this guy looked tougher than both of them. But on the other hand, Aipom was certain his blindness would be a hindrance and thus she felt truly ready for this.

Back in the Tokyo Dome, it seemed the Bouncing Biceps had once again gotten the upper hand as Lopunny had Kecleon high above the ring with his ankles bound by her ears, both upside-down. Heracross, meanwhile, had managed to knock Octillery on her back with a fierce elbow to her face as he planted his horn under her.

Lopunny proceeded to spin toward the mat, setting the chameleon up for her Bunny Tornado, a move she often used to end matches. And with that, Heracross proceeded to lift Octillery up just in time for Kecleon's head to collide with hers, the two shouting, "TORNADO SHOVEL!"

With that, the Vanishing Muscles took in a great deal of pain, each one spitting up a bit of blood before passing out. Machoke winced at the sight of this as Nori started the ten count, Beedrill exclaiming, "And Heracross and Lopunny combine their two strongest solo attacks to create a powerful team move! But will that be enough to take out their opponents!?"

The crowd watched in anticipation when Nori reached ten seconds, ringing the bell and exclaiming, "And this victory goes to the Bouncing Biceps!" the crowd going wild as Hoopa folded his arms, smirking and saying, "They'll make alright semi-finals opponents, I guess," Diancie nodding while thinking, 'Granted we're able to defeat Talonflame.'

"Way to go!" Scyther exclaimed with a smirk, Talonflame adding, "Hey, just think, once we wipe the floor with Hoopa and Diancie, we'll get to face them in the next round!"

Reika nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's right. You guys are best friends," Scyther nodding and replying, "Ja. In all honesty, we were actually hoping we'd get to face each-other in this tournament. And it looks like it might just happen."

"And with that out of the way, it's time for another half-hour break," Beedrill stated, "But remember, be back soon. I can guarantee you won't wanna miss the next match."

Hoopa smirked and said, "Yeah, they definitely won't wanna miss this," the genie turning toward Talonflame, the falcon not noticing as he and Scyther were about to head off and prepare themselves.

Machoke grinned and said, "You'll kick their asses for sure," Talonflame nodding and replying, "You'd better believe we will," the two pounding their fists together before heading toward the exit for good.

Though Machoke was still wondering what had kept Aipom away for so long. Let alone that, would Machoke even get to meet his new partner by the end of the day?

That would soon be made clear as Simisear stood before Aipom with his arms folded. He took a deep breath and said, "You've done well to make it this far. But mark my words, there's a reason I saved myself for last. I just hope you're ready for this."

Aipom gulped and thought the same thing. But even so, she had to keep trying. After coming this far, turning back was not an option.

With that in mind, she took a deep breath and rushed toward Simisear. Figuring that he would expect her to rush straight toward him, she sprinted to the right just as she got close, leaping at him from the side with her tail at the ready. And sure enough, the red monkey had his arms crossed in front of him, showing that he had, indeed, expected a frontward assault.

But just as it looked like Aipom would have the quickest victory of all time, Simisear sent his left arm outward, striking the purple monkey hard in the cheek as she flew away from him. Her cheek hit the wall hard as she whimpered and slid down it, rubbing that very spot with a look of fear in her eyes.

'Okay, maybe that was too obvious,' Aipom thought as she ran toward him again, Simisear poised for another attack only for the purple monkey to try moving in various directions. It seemed the red monkey would not move thus making this easier for Aipom as she got behind him, aiming a karate chop toward his ankle like she had Simisage.

However, unlike his brother, Simisear had seen this coming as his tail caught flame, the red monkey shouting, "FLAMING SMOKESTACK!" sending the tail downward and striking Aipom hard atop the head.

Not only was the tail surprisingly heavy enough to crush her, but thanks to the flames surrounding it, she took in massive burns as she cried out in pain. Simisage stared in horror, about to speak up against this until Simipour held up her chalkboard, the words 'If we hold back, she'll never learn' written on them.

"But she's just a kid," Simisage groaned before sighing, "Though yeah, that Smeargle guy would probably do much worse without a second thought."

Aipom now ignored the pain dealt to her when she heard that. Where had that come from? After all, she had not told them the name of either of Machoke's semi-finals opponents. All she had said was that both were powerful.

However, Simisear could hear her lack of movement as he sent a back kick into her face, sending her skidding across the ground as he grunted, "Pay attention to the fight! Not doing so could cost you your life in a real battle!"

Aipom sprang to her feet and breathed heavily, thinking, 'My god, I should have known! Because he can't see, he's learned to rely on all of his other senses! Not just touch, but hearing and smell too. I thought for sure he would be the easiest of the wise simians, but he's actually the best fighter among all of them. I need some way to take advantage of him.'

It was then that she looked up and saw it, the solution to her problem. Hanging from the ceiling was a single light bulb held in place by a small chain, but could the monkey possibly jump high enough to reach it?

She would certainly have to try as she stood up on her tail hand, Simisear folding his arms and asking, "Are you going to move? I have the patience to wait, but the longer you sit there, the longer it will take you to pass the test."

'To the best of your knowledge, I'll be sitting here,' the monkey thought as she used her tail to propel herself high above the floor and toward the light bulb.

Simisear heard the sound of her hand but heard nothing after that as she asked, "Did you really just take one step forward?"

Simisage and Simipour both stared in shock as they had never seen such a tactic before, Aipom leaping just high enough to latch onto the chain. Simisear sniffed the air, saying, "Wait, your smell isn't coming from that spot anymore. It's coming from somewhere else, but where?"

With that, Aipom released her hold and descended toward the red monkey's skull, spinning vertically like a wheel with her tail fist at the ready. Both Simisage and Simipour were even more amazed, their eyes wide with shock as the purple monkey screeched, "TAIL HAMMER!" sending it hard into his head.

Simisear's eyes actually opened as his teeth gritted, the red monkey standing there in stunned silence as Aipom leapt off of him, breathing heavily. She could not believe it. Even with his other senses helping him as much as they did, she still managed to hit him.

After a few seconds, Simisear's eyes closed once more as he folded his arms, a smile forming as he said, "Well done, Aipom. You passed the test," Aipom's eyes sparkling as a big smile formed on her face, Simipour giving her a round of applause while Simisage held his fist forward, exclaiming, "Yeah, great job! That was wicked!"

The purple monkey bowed her head to Simisear and said, "Thank you so much for giving me this chance, even if you didn't want to," the red monkey replying, "Oh no, I wanted you to take this test."

Aipom blinked as Simisage laughed nervously and stated, "Admittedly, we didn't quite get it at first either, but him turning you down earlier was a test of your commitment."

"It was?" Aipom uttered as Simisear nodded and explained, "If you had just accepted my answer and walked away, I would have deemed you unworthy. Instead, you used reverse psychology to get me to accept. I would have preferred something along the lines of 'I'm not turning around no matter what you say', but that was clever."

Aipom was truly astounded as the fire monkey added, "Also, believe it or not, while we're okay with our teachings being used for a fight between heroes, we have a feeling one of those Elegant Warriors might not actually be a fellow hero."

"But wait, I thought you didn't know who his opponents were," Aipom uttered as Simisage laughed, replying, "We just pretended not to know so you'd tell us your reason. You saying it was all for a tournament match helped lead up to the trick we played on you earlier," Simisear nodding and asking, "Did you think that just because we're middle-aged and live in a dojo, that means we're not up to date with what goes on in the world? We're perfectly in touch with current events."

Simipour nodded and wrote 'We have a TV in the back room' on her chalkboard, Aipom surprised by this as she said, "Let me guess, Simipour watches TV normally, Simisage reads subtitles and you just listen, right?" Simisear nodding and saying, "Well, that saves us a bit of extra time."

Aipom finally understood what was going on as she sighed, "Well, all that matters is that you're going to help me. So, what should we start with?"

"Nothing," Simisear replied, folding his arms as the monkey blinked and remarked, "What!?"

"You heard me," Simisear replied, "We will start with absolutely nothing," Aipom staring silently. Did they not feel like she could handle their training after all the praise they had given her?

It seemed this was not the case as Simisear said, "I was kind of hoping you would catch onto this, but hey, no pupil is perfect, so we'll overlook this one. But yes, your performance during these three fights proves that you are, in fact, ready to take on Smeargle and Vespiquen in the semi-finals with Machoke. You don't need to learn any skills from us. You already have effective skills of your own. You just need to practice with them until the next round."

Aipom blinked and uttered, "But I'm short and weak," Simisear retorting, "Short and weak are two different things. From what Simisage described to me earlier, you had the strength to lift up an opponent twice as tall as you. I don't think a mere weakling could have pulled that off," the purple monkey biting her lip as he added, "And yes, we saw what happened when you held Garchomp above your head. I'm not saying you have the strength to lift up every fighter out there, but I can guarantee those Elegant Warriors are not too heavy for you to handle."

Aipom's eyes sparkled as a big grin formed on her face, Simisage chuckling and saying, "Just let it all out. You've earned that right."

With that in mind, the monkey let out a happy screech, squealing, "OH MY GOD, I REALLY AM STRONG!" all the while running around in circles with her arms in the air. For years, she had tried not to act like this, keep up a 'too mature to be a child' image, and yet at the moment, this just felt right.

She then stopped and bowed her head to the wise simians, saying, "Thank you so much for everything. I'm gonna be the best partner Machoke's ever had, just you wait!"

And with a quick goodbye and a few more motivational words from the older monkeys, Aipom headed out of the dojo full of spirit and determination. After all this time of being a mere trainer on the sidelines, she was going to be the hero and nothing was going to stop her now.

Machoke was enjoying some down time with the others as there were still twenty minutes left before the next match. While he still wondered when Aipom would return, he also hoped that Scyther and Talonflame would have what it took to take on Hoopa and Diancie. After all, those two were a lot scarier than they looked.

But while discussing this with Gallade, Cici and Hitmonchan, his eyes widened when he heard a familiar voice say, "Hi, Machoke," the boy turning as Gallade smiled and said, "Hey, welcome back, Aipom."

However, it was not too long until the group noticed the bruises from her fights, Machoke blinking and uttering, "What happened to you?" the monkey chuckling and replying, "Your partner and I got in a little friendly scuffle. We got carried away with it."

Machoke nodded with a smile, saying, "Didn't think you were the kind to play rough," before asking, "So, where is my partner?" the monkey holding her hands behind her back and saying, "She's a little shy right now, but trust me, when the semi-finals come, you'll meet her," Hitmonchan narrowing her eyelids but choosing not to bring up the fact that this seemed to leave Machoke no time to prepare any kind of team moves with this newcomer.

Either way, Machoke felt reassured knowing at least one conflict had been resolved. But even so, there were still a couple of others that needed taking care of, the Elegant Warriors and the Demonic Angels. Hopefully both of these threats would be taken care of before the finals.


	25. Chapter 25

This was it, just a few more minutes until the final match of the second round. After seeing his old ally defeated, Talonflame really wanted to win this match as he and Scyther had trained harder than ever before. After seeing just what kind of fighters Hoopa and Diancie were, they felt ready for this.

Once the two were done, Scyther turned to Reika, who had been seated there the whole time with Tsuya and approached her, saying, "Danke," the black-haired girl rather surprised to hear this.

"Okay, I know enough German to know what that means," Reika uttered, "But what are you thanking me for?" Scyther replying, "I know I often say you don't have to do this, but it means a lot that you've come to watch me train. I mean, first of all, it's kind of nice to have someone besides my mother monitor my training, but at the same time, it's nice to have a friend around to support me."

Talonflame rolled his eyes and sighed, "Alright, you two have your little talk. I'll just wait outside," the falcon exiting the room, Tsuya getting up and exclaiming, "Wait for me, my dove!" the falcon retorting, "Oh god, now you're comparing me to weaker birds!?"

Scyther rolled her eyes as Reika laughed, sighing, "I feel bad for both of them," the green bug nodding and stating, "Anyway, you've been a really good friend to me all this time, and I feel really grateful for this."

She then reached for a box and opened it up, revealing fresh sausage as she asked, "Would you like to share some of this with me?" Reika gasping, "Wait, aren't these your own homemade sausages, you know, the ones that give you strength for every match!?"

Scyther nodded and replied, "Ja, but there's no harm in sharing them," Reika nodding with a light smile and taking a bite, thinking, 'Wow, Machoke was right. These are the best sausages in the world.'

Her cheeks were bright pink as she let out a sigh. A part of her just wanted to lean in and plant a big kiss on Scyther's lips, but before she could do so, Talonflame opened the door and said, "Hey, we got five minutes! Hurry it up!" Scyther blinking and nodding, saying, "Ja. I'm coming."

With that, the bug grinned and said, "You'd better hurry too. I wanna see you cheering me on," Reika nodding and replying, "Right!" before heading off, thinking, 'Oh well, if I'd come clean about my feelings, it probably would have thrown her off anyway.'

All the while, Machoke and the others had already gotten front-row seats, saving them for Reika and Tsuya while Aipom asked, "So, I missed the last match. Who won?" Machoke replying, "Heracross and Lopunny."

"That doesn't surprise me too much," Aipom replied with a light smile before looking around and noticing that once again, Vespiquen and Smeargle were nowhere in sight. Why was it that after their matches, they felt like leaving the Tokyo Dome? Though this did also beg another question.

Aipom remembered how Vespiquen told Mawile that she had performed better than Gothitelle in the first round, but how did she know that? She and Smeargle were not even in the area to witness the event. Or maybe it just seemed that way.

As it just so happened, the two were actually watching from a TV in their apartment suite, Smeargle saying, "Remind moi again why we're not there," Vespiquen explaining, "It's because Gardevoir and Florges' friends wish to corrupt your mind. I would much rather you not be near them until it is time to fight again," Smeargle nodding in understanding.

And with that, it was finally time as Nori exclaimed, "Well, we've had a great second round so far, but it's time for the final match of the day!" Beedrill nodding and adding, "This is one people have certainly been looking forward to. Now that Lucario's been defeated, I'm sure his old buddy, Talonflame, would love to give his opponents a piece of his mind."

"No doubt about that!" Nori replied with a grin, "Knowing his temper, he's probably spent these last two-and-a-half days thinking about nothing more than wiping the floor with these two!"

"On that note, let's introduce the teams, shall we?" Beedrill asked as the woman nodded and stated, "In the red corner, two spirited and powerful fighters who have truly made a name for themselves! They proved too much for the mighty Bisharp and Scrafty to handle and enter the second round, likely raring for more! Give it up for the Slashing Explosions!"

The crowd went wild as Talonflame flew toward the ring like a rocket, Scyther standing on his back like a surfer. And once the falcon flew overhead, the insect leapt off of him and performed various backward flips before landing firmly against the mat. And to end the routine, Talonflame performed a spin over the ring before slowly descending toward the mat, fire surrounding him until he landed, the crowd truly amazed.

"Before you announce the next team, I have something I gotta say!" Talonflame exclaimed as Nori blinked and turned to Beedrill, the wasp nodding and saying, "I'll allow it."

"Thanks," the falcon replied with a smirk before exclaiming, "I can tell you right now, our announcers are correct! After what these two did to Lucario, I'm going to make sure they suffer like he did! We may not have always gotten along, but Lucario was my first real friend and, as embarrassing as it is to admit, he's dear to me."

Some members of the crowd had tears in their eyes, some even saying, "Aw," while the falcon gritted his teeth, groaning, "Why didn't I see that coming?"

He then cleared his throat and added, "As such, I know he'll rest much easier in that hospital knowing that Scyther and I defeated the so-called 'heroes' who gave him such a horrible beating!" the falcon spreading out his arms and forming two peace signs, the audience applauding him.

"Wow, it's not like him to be so open about a friendship," Machoke uttered as Tsuya gave the falcon a heavenly smile, sighing, "That only makes me love him more," the others face-palming.

"Well, that was certainly inspirational," Nori stated before adding, "And in the blue corner, two heroes no one even knew about until just recently! Since the two defeated Lucario, they've gained quite a following! With many surprising techniques, the Demonic Angels!"

And as Nori had said, Hoopa and Diancie had quite a following now, so when the two entered the area, they received many cheers. However, the audience was even more amazed by the fact that Hoopa had built himself a float and hired dancers to dress in Arabian outfits, all of them dancing to an upbeat melody representing said nationality. Hoopa himself even performed a dance of his own, Diancie swaying left and right and smiling light. She had to admit that she really enjoyed this entrance and hoped for more fun ones in the future.

"Showoff," Talonflame grunted, folding his arms as Scyther sighed, "It's not like we were exactly humble with our entrance either."

As much as the falcon wanted to retort to that, he had to admit she had a point. And besides, this was hardly relevant to the match itself anyway. Right now, he just wanted this match to start so he could wipe Hoopa's grin off of his face.

Knowing just how serious he was about this, Scyther rested a hand on his shoulder and said, "You can go first," the falcon blinking and turning to her, the insect grinning and saying, "I know I always like to be first for everything, but you have more motivation and drive than I do. Just try to save me a bit of the action, okay?"

Talonflame snickered and replied, "You really are a true friend. It's times like this I'm glad I gave up villainy."

And of course, Hoopa had already decided long before the match that he would go first, Diancie knowing better than to question this. After all, his happiness was more important to her than anything else in the world, but why?

Once Diancie and Scyther stood outside of the ring, Nori was about to ring the bell as Hoopa held out his hand with a smirk, saying, "I know I tricked Lucario with this, but I don't feel like doing that this time. Let's shake to a good match, eh?"

Talonflame frowned and stared for a few seconds before smirking and saying, "Alright," the crowd happy to see this, Beedrill saying, "Well, it is always nice to see good sportsmanship in the ring."

Hoopa smirked and thought, 'Wow, he's even dumber than I first thought!' but just as he was about to start the match exactly the same as how he started the one with the Fancy Fighters, Talonflame balled his hand up into a fist and sent it hard into the genie's face, sending him into the ropes.

The crowd gasped as Nori quickly rang the bell, Talonflame flapping his wings and leaping toward Hoopa just as he bounced off the ropes. And once close enough, the falcon engulfed his talon in fire, shouting, "ROUNDHOUSE INFERNO!" sending it hard into the genie's face, knocking him on his back.

While the majority of the crowd was unsure how to feel about this, Talonflame's most die-hard fans broke out into heavy cheers, one shouting, "Yeah, give him a taste of his own medicine!" and "Serves him right for pulling the same stunt on Lucario!"

And while no one was surprised by Talonflame's friends being fine with this, many were shocked when even Aipom rose her tail fist in the air and cheered for the falcon. Machoke stared and grinned, saying, "Well, good to know you're not always a goody-two-shoes," the monkey's cheeks turning bright pink as she quickly knelt down in her seat, whimpering, "Sorry, I wasn't thinking straight."

However, deep down, she was glad to see Talonflame get an early lead regardless of whether his tactics were dirty or not. Like a few others, she had a feeling Hoopa could not be trusted and that only bad things would happen if he or Vespiquen won the tournament.

"Dude, what the hell!?" Hoopa groaned as he pushed himself back up, Talonflame smirking and remarking, "Not so nice when you're on the receiving end, is it!?"

The genie gritted his teeth as Talonflame continued, "I know you probably think that just because I'm a bruiser, that must make me some kind of dumbass, but let me tell you, I'm a lot smarter than you think! After seeing the way you tried that bullshit on Lucario, there was no way in hell I'd let you do the same to me!"

Diancie blinked and uttered, "You okay?" Hoopa retorting, "Of course I am! I'm just shocked he'd try that, especially with the way he's been trying to convince the world he's good now! Or maybe that was a lie!"

The crowd was unsure how to argue against that until Talonflame smirked and retorted, "First of all, I couldn't care less about a lecture from someone who literally did the same thing in round one! And secondly, it's not like I'm the only one guilty of this! Surely you've heard of the mighty Bouffalant."

Hoopa blinked and uttered, "Who?" every member of the audience falling on his or her side while Beedrill nodded and explained, "That's right. While Bouffalant did eventually come around to the side of good after losing to Machamp, he never lost his brutality. If it meant getting himself a victory, he would resort to dirty tactics. It didn't change the fact that he was still fighting for the side of good."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Machoke groaned, "He gave Blaziken a really hard time on Hero Planet," Gallade nodding and saying, "Whatever the case, it was certainly effective."

And of course, Talonflame refused to let it end here as he flew toward Hoopa again, the genie snapping his right fingers as his left hand vanished. Talonflame knew exactly what to expect as sure enough, the hand appeared right behind him, balled up into a fist, and flew at his back. But just as it was about to strike, the falcon turned his body just enough to block it with his palm.

"You didn't think I'd actually fall for that, did you?" Talonflame grunted as he smirked and bent half of the hand upward, the crowd wincing at the sound of Hoopa's knuckles cracking.

However, the genie was ready for this as he tried his best to ignore the pain, biting his lower lip while his eye twitched, a light tear rolling down his cheek. But while this went on, he swung his horn around before sending his ring toward the falcon, shouting, "DEMONIC RING!"

But it seemed Talonflame was even prepared for this as just when the ring was about to strike his head, he immediately turned it toward the projectile and caught it with his beak. The crowd was truly astounded as a smile formed on said part, many of his fans cheering.

"Wow!" Nori exclaimed with a big smile, "Talonflame is certainly not holding back! He's seen all of Hoopa's tricks and found a way to turn all of them against him! His desire to avenge Lucario is stronger than I could have ever imagined!"

But just as it looked like Talonflame had this match in the bag, Hoopa smirked and said, "Gotcha," as small holes formed in the ring, releasing an icy wind.

The falcon's eyes widened as he released his hold on the ring, crying out in pain as he let go of Hoopa's hand shortly after. With him being a fire type, it was hard to ignore cold being forced down his throat.

And it seemed the genie had more planned as when his ring returned to him, he quickly took hold of it and spun his body around, sending it toward Talonflame once more and shouting, "DEMONIC RING!"

Hoopa's fans cheered as spikes came from the ring, striking Talonflame's cheek as he winced in pain, a small cut forming on him. And it did not end there as Hoopa proceeded to lean his body forward, pointing his fists out and flying toward the falcon like a rocket. And before Talonflame could even respond, he took a hard punch to the gut as Hoopa floated upright, sending a barrage of rapid punches into his face.

His fans were even more excited now as Nori exclaimed, "And just like that, Hoopa has already turned the tides in his favour! Despite his incredible strength and skills, not even Talonflame can stand up to an onslaught like this!"

"You think so!?" Talonflame retorted before holding up his hands, blocking two incoming punches. Hoopa's eyes widened as the falcon proceeded to lean backward, planting the back of the genie's neck into the canvas while his fans cheered for him once more.

"Yeah, that's the Talonflame I know!" Machoke exclaimed with a grin, "Take it from me! It'll take a lot more than a few punches to knock him down!" Scyther nodding and thinking, 'That's why he's the perfect ally.'

Hoopa used his hands to propel himself back up, breathing lightly as Diancie was about to suggest tagging her in. However, she knew full-well that he would not want that. The only time he would want her help was during the tornado tag portion, and that was still more than three minutes away.

And with that, Hoopa snapped his fingers again, Talonflame smirking and tauntingly asking, "You're seriously trying that again?" but just as he was ready to counter the incoming hand, he noticed it was nowhere to be seen as Scyther pointed and exclaimed, "Talonflame, his hand didn't teleport!"

"Wait, what!?" the falcon remarked only to feel something sharp pierce his shoulder. He slowly turned to see that it was, in fact, Hoopa's right horn, the one that did not have a ring on it, soon turning toward the genie and noticing that said horn had, in fact, left the side of his head.

"Surprised?" Hoopa asked as he snapped his fingers again, this time having his left hand appear in the form of a fist right behind Talonflame as opposed to a ways from him, "My hands aren't the only thing I can teleport."

And soon enough, the falcon would feel even more pain as the fist flew into the horn, forcing it further in like a hammer hitting a nail. Talonflame did his best not to cry out in response to this while the crowd was truly amazed, and it would only get worse from here as just like Hoopa's hand, the horn was, indeed, trying to return to its owner.

"You're showing resistance now, but let's see if even someone as tough as you can handle this," Hoopa said with a smirk as the horn soon managed to push itself all the way through Talonflame's shoulder, putting a big hole in it as blood flew out, the falcon unable to contain a big cry of pain.

"THAT LOOKED HORRIBLE!" Machoke spat, now even more terrified of Hoopa as his horn return to the side of his head, Nori stating, "And in a shocking display, Hoopa reveals yet another power of his. And much like when Lucario used his spikes to overpower Machoke's Mach Cover, even the mightiest of flesh can be pierced by a blade."

And it would only get worse from here as Hoopa flew at Talonflame, sending a hard punch into the shoulder that had been stabbed. The falcon grunted in pain as he backed up, holding onto that very spot as Scyther held out her arm, shouting, "Tag me!"

The falcon frowned and let out a sigh, saying, "Alright," before slapping Scyther's hand, the insect taking his place as the crowd cheered, Nori stating, "And now Scyther had entered the ring. Let's see if she can finish what Talonflame started."

And Scyther would not allow Hoopa to start up another move, thus she sprinted toward him and sent a flying roundhouse into the side of his head. The genie grimaced in response to this as the insect proceeded to grab both of his horns, lifting up her other leg and sending her knee hard into his face.

The crowd went wild as Scyther sent Hoopa flying away from her with one last kick to his midsection, Beedrill exclaiming, "And with just a few kicks, Scyther already seems to have brought the advantage back to the Slashing Explosions!" Diancie wishing she had been the one to take those hits instead.

Reika cheered wildly and exclaimed, "Way to go, Scyther!" the others joining her.

Hoopa glared and said, "You may be fast, but honestly, I'd have much rather continued to fight Talonflame. At the very least, he was more of a challenge."

The audience was now silent as Scyther remarked, "What!?" Talonflame gritting his teeth, growling, "Don't listen to him."

Hoopa laughed and remarked, "Yes, don't listen to the one with the common sense here! Come on, Scyther, you build yourself up as this great successor to Scizor when in reality, you're a joke!"

Everyone gasped, Scizor sitting in the crowd and listening to this, gritting her teeth and thinking, 'He's not trying what I think he is. Nein, every time someone does this, it ends badly,' Reika narrowing her eyelids and thinking, 'Please, Scyther, don't take his words to heart. You know what he's doing.'

And it truly seemed to go that route as Hoopa said, "Come on, let's face it, you've never gotten past the second round of any tournament. Meanwhile, every opponent you ever defeated was a joke!" Gallade's eyes widening as he spat, "HEY, ARE YOU CALLING ME A JOKE!?"

"Of course I am!" Hoopa retorted with a smirk, "In preparation for this tournament, Diancie and I watched the most famous matches of the participants online! While it's been recorded that you actually have one impressive victory that was never caught on camera, every other match you've been in has done nothing to make you sound like a good fighter! You lost to Scrafty in a matter of minutes, you lost to Scyther even faster and ever since those weaklings you beat to qualify for the Olympics, you haven't won any other matches! Scyther beating you is nothing to write home about!"

Gallade twitched all over as Hitmonchan growled, "How dare you badmouth my man, you bastard!?" Scyther not sure whether to argue with that or not. Looking back, she certainly remembered Gallade not being much of a challenge.

"Hey, don't forget Hippowdon!" Reika exclaimed as the others nodded, Aipom saying, "That's right. Hippowdon gave her a lot of trouble," Heracross nodding and adding, "Almost bested her, he did, but she still pulled through."

"That only proves how pathetic you really are," Hoopa remarked, "Think about it. The only reason you won that match was because of Scizor's advice. If she hadn't told you exactly what to do when he had you trapped in his Sand Tomb, you would have lost.

"Hold on," Reika stated, "Scizor wasn't giving her advice when she fought Bisharp and Scrafty in the first round!" Hoopa nodding and remarking, "True, but she did have Talonflame's help. Heck, she wasn't doing all that hot until he joined the fray."

Now the crowd was really unsure what to say to this. Even Reika was trying to come up with some kind of comeback as Diancie said, "Well, it is also true that every time Scyther stopped taking Scizor's advice, it always ended in failure. Just saying."

"You often brag about how you're too good to rely on your wings for combat, yet you really haven't done anything to deserve your reputation," Hoopa said, "Let's face it, alone, you're nothing but one big joke," as Scyther remarked, "Nein!"

The genie blinked as she smirked and said, "You know, you're not the first fighter to try this sort of thing on me. I know, I have a bit of a temper that makes it easy for me to stop fighting logically when provoked, but I'm not gonna let that happen again. Besides, you tried the same thing when Lucario's Force Palm hit you and it didn't work on him either, so what made you think it would work on me?"

Both Scizor and Talonflame had light smiles on their faces, Talonflame giving the bug a thumb up and saying, "Good job. Now go in there and give him more of a beating!" the insect nodding and charging at Hoopa, Reika breathing a sigh of relief.

With that in mind, the genie frowned and exclaimed, "Diancie, now!" the sylph nodding, at least knowing she could get away with this once as she knelt down, placing her hands against the mat and shouting, "GEM GROWTH!"

With that, a big gem formed in front of Scyther as the insect wound up running face-first into it, grunting in pain. Hoopa then warped his left hand behind her in the form of a fist. Since Scyther was distracted by the pain caused by the gem, she took a fierce punch to her back as Hoopa floated behind her, reuniting with his hand before wrapping both around her waistline.

With that, he lifted her up and leaned backward, planting her head hard into the mat as his fans cheered for him, Nori stating, "And like the Transforming Terrors, Diancie has taken full advantage of the rule allowing teammates to help their allies as long as they don't enter the ring!"

Diancie nodded and thought, 'At least it's legal. That way I don't feel too bad about it,' Talonflame gritting his teeth and cursing, "Dammit, if only I had long-range moves as well, then I could go in there and help!"

And it seemed Scyther's situation would not improve any time soon as Hoopa proceeded to flip her onto her belly, sending rapid punches into the back of her head. Unlike Talonflame, who could handle this sort of thing, Scyther's body was nowhere near as strong and thus she felt intense pain from the multiple hits. Out of desperation, she even resorted to folding her arms behind her head, but all this did was redirect all the pain to her hands.

"Hey, Scyther, what are you doing!?" Talonflame snapped, "You know exactly how to get out of this!" Scyther nodding and lifting her legs back, latching them onto Hoopa's sides.

The genie's eyes widened as the insect knew his punches would not add strain to his body. As such, she shifted her arms and planted them against the mat before pushing herself up, flipping Hoopa over thus slamming his head into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Reika squealed, "YEAH, I KNEW YOU COULD GET OUT OF THAT, SCYTHER!" and it would not end here as Scyther took full advantage of this, lifting her foot above her head before sending it crashing down upon Hoopa's back.

Needless to say, things were once again favourable for the Slashing Explosions. But could this advantage possibly last? After all, Hoopa and Diancie had both surprised everyone when they fought the Fancy Fighters, so who could say Scyther was on easy street at the moment?


	26. Chapter 26

While Hoopa had gotten quite a few good moves in, it seemed the Slashing Explosions might just have what it took to win this match after all. However, things were likely to change when Nori rang the bell, signalling the tornado tag portion.

Talonflame entered the ring and smirked, saying, "Good job, buddy," Scyther giving him a thumb up as Diancie entered, saying, "You did a good job, Hoopa. Let's finish what you started."

The genie nodded and replied, "Yeah, they may think they got the drop on us, but they're dead wrong."

With that, Nori stated, "Things are sure to heat up now! This match has already been pretty intense with just Hoopa in the ring, but now that Diancie has joined him, will things be as difficult for the Slashing Explosions as it was for the Fancy Fighters?"

"I doubt it," Machoke replied with a grin, "If anything, those Demonic Angels are in even more trouble now," and it seemed so as Scyther leapt toward Diancie with both feet forward.

Before either one of the Demonic Angels could respond, Talonflame flew over to Scyther and planted his talons against her shoulders, allowing her to fly faster. Thus when her feet made contact with Diancie's chest, she took more pain and fell on her back.

Before Hoopa could retaliate, though, Talonflame leapt off of Scyther and wrapped his arm around the genie's neck, planting his back hard against the mat. The crowd went wild as Scyther proceeded to send an axe kick into Diancie's gut, leaping backward as Talonflame did the same. He remembered full-well how Hoopa had taken advantage of Lucario when trapped in a camel clutch. There was no doubt he could easily do the same if Talonflame caught him in a submission hold.

But just as the Slashing Explosions seemed even more likely to win, Diancie placed her hands against the mat, uttering, "Gem Growth," but it seemed Scyther and Talonflame saw this coming as both leapt to the side, avoiding the gems.

"Do you think we're stupid!?" Talonflame barked only to find his arms locked in place, Hoopa having caught him as he said, "Nope, but you were so easily distracted by the gems that it gave me a perfect opportunity to grab you."

Before the falcon could even respond, Hoopa threw his hands backward, slamming his head into the canvas. And it would not end there as Diancie rose to her feet, gems sprouting up from under her dress.

Hoopa and Diancie's fans cheered now as the sylph stood on the tips of her toes, twirling toward Scyther while shouting, "SUGARPLUM FAIRY SLASH!" Scizor thinking, 'That was a mistake. My daughter can easily block that.'

And it seemed so as Scyther sprouted her arm blades, using them to block the incoming gems. However, she was shocked when Diancie increased the speed of her twirl thus forcing the insect's arms to the side, striking her midsection hard as she cried out in pain.

Some members of the crowd gasped as Machoke winced, groaning, "It's more painful watching it the second time," green blood flying out of Scyther as she flew into Talonflame just as he had risen to his feet, both falling on their backs.

"Wow, that turned out better than expected," Hoopa said with a smirk, but just as he was about to have Diancie set up for the Diamond Meteor that had defeated Lucario and Clauncher, both rose to their feet, breathing heavily with annoyed looks on their faces.

Hoopa frowned and asked, "How are you both still standing?" Talonflame remarking, "First off, you guys haven't done that much to us yet, but also, we can sustain a lot of pain," Scyther nodding and stating, "Growing up, I was put through hellish training from my mother, the likes of which no one has ever dealt with. I've taken in far worse pain than you could ever dish out."

"And as for me, I got an incredible resistance," Talonflame explained, "It'll take a lot more than a stab to the shoulder and a few measly punches to take me down."

"Yeah, take it from someone who fought him before," Machoke stated, "Talonflame is not to be taken lightly," the crowd even more excited now as Hoopa gritted his teeth.

"Dammit," he whispered, "I underestimated these two. I figured since they didn't make it to the Olympic finals like Lucario did, they would be nowhere near his level, but so far, they're proving to be just as annoying, if not more."

"What should we do?" Diancie asked as Talonflame turned to Scyther, asking, "Are we just gonna stand here and let them come up with a strategy?"

"Nein!" the insect remarked as the two charged toward their opponents, Diancie gasping as Hoopa exclaimed, "I know!" snapping his fingers as his left hand and horn both teleported.

However, rather than forming a distance away from the two as usual, each one appeared right next to a fighter, the hand grabbing onto Scyther's wrist as the horn lodged itself into Talonflame's ribs. Not even the falcon could ignore pain like this as he cried in agony, Scyther finding herself dragged toward Hoopa as the genie winked at Diancie.

The sylph nodded and dashed in front of the insect, shouting, "DIAMOND HORN!" the diamond atop her head stretching forward until it formed that very shape. However, knowing that doing what she did to Masquerain could potentially get her disqualified, she lowered herself just enough for the horn to jab Scyther's midsection as opposed to her skull.

The fans of the Demonic Angels cheered wildly as Machoke had panic all over his face, and it would only get worse from here as Hoopa snapped his fingers once more, sending his waist ring high above the mat and sending the ring around his horn under Talonflame. After round one, everyone knew what was coming as a vortex formed inside each ring, the falcon pulled into it, the ring returning to Hoopa's horn as Reika snapped, "SCYTHER, TALONFLAME'S IN TROUBLE!"

The insect's eyes widened as she gritted her teeth, shouting, "ARM SCHWERT!" sending one arm blade sideways toward Diancie. Since the sylph still had her body lowered, she managed to block it with her diamond, but the force of the slash sent her back as Scyther charged toward Hoopa when Talonflame emerged from the waist ring.

Unfortunately for her, Diancie would not allow this as she slapped her hand against the mat, shouting, "GEM GROWTH!" as once again, a big gem rose up in front of Scyther's face, the insect unable to react in time to avoid making a collision with it.

As if that was not bad enough, Hoopa managed to reach Talonflame as he latched onto his arms, shouting, "HYPERSPACE HOLE!"

Talonflame was just about to used his wings to soften the blow only for Diancie to leap backward toward the ropes, bouncing off of them with her feet aimed at the gem she had formed. And to top it all off, a familiar light surrounded her legs as the big diamond she had used on Lucario took form.

"What's she doing?" Machoke uttered, Scyther attempting to stop Diancie only to receive a hook to her neck when the sylph passed her, falling on her back as the diamond struck the gem. Thus the top half flew toward Talonflame, hitting him hard in the forehead as it came open, a light trickle of blood forming as he groaned in pain.

This provided just enough of a distraction for Hoopa to plant Talonflame's head hard into the mat, his fans going wild as the others stared in shock, Lopunny shouting, "TALONFLAME!" Heracross gritting his teeth and grunting, "This is just painful."

As if that was not enough, Diancie refused to allow Scyther to rise to her feet as she kept her legs in their diamond form, floating above the insect's back. Seeing this, Reika exclaimed, "SCYTHER, LOOK OUT!" but it was too late as Diancie descended toward the insect, shouting, "DIAMOND METEOR!" planting the diamond hard into her back, Scyther coughing up blood.

Scizor could no longer hide her presence as she removed her cloak, shouting, "SCYTHER, ARE YOU OKAY!?" the crowd gasping as Nori exclaimed, "Just as the Demonic Angels make an incredible comeback, the legendary Scizor seems to have graced us with her presence!" the red insect ignoring the attention and tensing up, hoping Scyther would not be mad at her for coming to the event.

However, Scyther still had enough consciousness to see her as she grinned, saying, "Hallo, mother. I'm glad you could come, but I wish you were here under better circumstances."

Diancie gasped at the sight of this, not so much because Scyther's mother was there but because the insect could still move. As it just so happened, Lucario was not the only one to fall to a single use of her Diamond Meteor, and yet Scyther was still kicking.

Machoke smiled wide and exclaimed, "Thank god! Scizor could give her a few tips to get out of this!" Reika nodding and saying, "Yeah, she'll know what to do."

However, it seemed their intuition was wrong as Scizor bit her lower lip and said, "Scyther, as you know, I have decided to let you live your own life, to be independent. As such, I will not give you advice, but I will say that there is a way out of this and I'm sure you're aware of it."

Hoopa had been too distracted by the older bug's presence to notice Talonflame rise to his feet, wrapping his arms around the genie and barking, "HEY, DID YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT WOULD FINISH ME OFF, PUNK!?" the falcon taking to the sky with his body engulfed in flames.

The crowd went wild for him as Scyther nodded and said, "Ja," placing her hands and knees firmly against the mat, pushing up thus forcing Diancie's diamond out of her back, the sylph's eyes wide with shock.

And it did not end there as Talonflame performed a U-turn in midair, shouting, "FLARE BLITZ!" Scyther leaping up to Diancie's level and wrapping her arms the sylph, leaning backward and barking, "FLYING HAMMER!"

With that, the Demonic Angels found their heads making contact with the canvas, a big cloud of smoke surrounding Hoopa as he had just taken in the devastating move that had defeated both Blaziken and Scyther during the Next Gen Battle. Needless to say, this combined with all the damage dealt to the genie earlier led the crowd to believe that at least Hoopa must have been dealt with for good after that.

And it seemed so as the smoke cleared to reveal that Hoopa had coughed up quite a bit of blood as a result of the collision with the mat, his eyes stuck wide open as his tongue hung sideways out of his mouth. And Diancie seemed to be down for the count as well, despite having not taken in a lot of hits prior, the crowd going wild.

"Well, with two powerful slams, it seems that the Slashing Explosions may have actually won this match!" Beedrill exclaimed as Nori started the ten count, Machoke grinning wide and exclaiming, "YEAH, YOU ROCK!"

Aipom had a more serious look, thinking, 'Please let that be it. Tell me they didn't survive that,' as Reika and Scizor both had confident smiles on their faces.

Talonflame and Scyther both breathed heavily, grinning at one-another before holding their thumbs up. But just as Nori reached nine, the crowd was shocked, the announcer stopping the count when Hoopa and Diancie mustered up the strength to grab each respected opponent's ankles.

Before Talonflame could even respond, Hoopa used his hands to cross his legs together, thus causing him to trip and fall flat on his chin. However, Diancie had more plans for Scyther as she encased her hands in the material that made up her gems.

Because she was clinging to Scyther, the material also covered the insect's ankles as she struggled to free herself but to no avail. And it would only get worse as Diancie rose to her feet, lifting Scyther up with her and leaning backward, planting the back of the insect's head into the canvas.

Diancie's fans cheered as Nori exclaimed, "And just when it seemed to be over, the Demonic Angels make a shocking recovery and get their revenge!" Diancie removing the material from Scyther's ankles before resting on top of her, saying, "You may have resisted Hoopa's punches, but his weren't as strong as crystals, were they?"

Scyther instinctively held up her hands to block the inevitable onslaught of diamond-encrusted punches, though this only provided a little bit of protection as the material caused the backs of her hands to come open, green blood trickling down while the crowd watched in horror. And while this went on, Hoopa proceeded to float over Talonflame, smirking and saying, "You said mere punches wouldn't be enough to hurt you, but what if I aimed them at a spot that's already bleeding?"

Talonflame's eyes widened as Hoopa sent an onslaught of punches, his right hand striking the falcon's shoulder while his left hand went for the bleeding ribcage. Not even Talonflame could ignore so much pain as Tsuya spat, "THIS IS SO UNFAIR! HE'S TARGETING TALONFLAME'S TENDER SPOTS!" Cici nodding and whimpering, "Hoopa's scary."

Heracross could not take anymore as he stood up, shouting, "COME ON, GUYS, YOU CAN RESIST THIS!" Lopunny adding, "YEAH, FIND A WAY TO COUNTER THIS!" Scizor nodding and shouting, "You can do it, Scyther!"

With that in mind, Scyther threw her legs up, latching them to Diancie's waist. And unlike Hoopa, if the sylph were to continue her assault, she would end up dealing further harm to herself.

Unfortunately for the insect, Diancie was much more focused on making Hoopa happy as she continued her assault, seeing an opening before sending a hard punch straight into Scyther's forehead, the crowd truly astounded. This one punch was more than enough to draw blood, Scyther now too hurt to keep her arms up as Diancie continued her assault.

"And Diancie's just whaling on Scyther right now!" Nori exclaimed as Beedrill added, "Yeah, and Talonflame doesn't have it much better. Look, his wounds are getting bigger."

And this was certainly true as the multiple punches opened up the wounds more. However, Talonflame would not stand for this as he spat, "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH YOU!"

With that, he proceeded to plant his hands against the mat, lifting up his legs and sending them into Hoopa's midsection. With the genie distracted, the falcon used his legs to lock him in place, performing a handstand and throwing said legs forward, sending Hoopa flying head-first into Diancie. This caused the sylph to cough up a bit of blood as she fell on her side, thus allowing Scyther to rise back to her feet, breathing heavily and trying to ignore the extreme pain dealt to her face.

"Hey, you hanging in there, Scyther?" Talonflame asked as the insect nodded and replied, "Ja. I think it's time to end this."

With that, the two proceeded to hold hands as Scyther thought, 'Forgive me, mother, but I need to use my wings for this move to work,' the insect lashing out the blade on her free arm, Talonflame engulfing his own free arm in flames.

With that, Scyther revealed her wings as she and Talonflame both flew above the ground, the crowd gasping as Machoke uttered, "Is she doing what I think she is?" Aipom nodding as Heracross stated, "She's actually flying during a match!"

"Honestly, I'm more surprised by Scizor's reaction," Gallade uttered as the others turned to see what he meant, and sure enough, the red insect did not look the least bit upset. In fact, she had a smile on her face, almost as if she was proud of her daughter for going against her teachings, but why?

'As impressed as I am by the fact that you never once felt the need to rely on your wings, it might just be necessary here,' Scizor thought as the Slashing Explosions spun around in mid-air, headed toward their opponents while shouting, "ARM SCHWERT INFERNO!" a twister of flames surrounding them.

But just as the move was about to hit, Diancie quickly placed her hands against the ground, focusing hard as a pink aura surrounded her. And after a few seconds, the sylph exclaimed, "GEM GROWTH!" as a wide assortment of gems sprang up out of the ground where Talonflame and Scyther were headed, slowing them down as a big one rose up in the middle.

This particular gem struck both of their hands, thus forcing the two away from each-other as Hoopa grinned and said, "You are awesome, Diancie!" the sylph blushing and uttering, "Awesome? Me?"

However, the sylph quickly realized she could not pass up this opportunity as she changed her legs into a big diamond once more. With that, she once again propelled herself off of the ropes and aimed the diamond straight for Talonflame, Hoopa flying behind her and pushing on her shoulders to increase the speed, both shouting, "DIAMOND ROCKET!"

Seeing this, Scyther immediately lashed out her second arm blade and dashed in front of her partner, crossing both of them together. And thus it seemed she and the falcon would be safe when the diamond made contact with her blades.

The crowd was silent as Machoke sighed with relief, saying, "That was too close," Aipom whimpering, "I wouldn't be so calm right now if I were you."

The boy's eyes widened when he noticed what the monkey meant, most of the crowd terrified when they noticed Scyther's blades start to crack. And before either of the Slashing Explosions could react, the bottom halves of the blades shattered as Scyther took the diamond to her gut, said part passing straight through her and piercing Talonflame as well.

With that, both coughed up blood before being forced up against the ropes, the material coming open as the crowd stared in shock. And sure enough, it was not long until the ropes snapped open, Talonflame and Scyther flying out of the ring, the falcon's back hitting the wall hard as the collision left a small crater in the material.

The crowd gasped as those sitting behind said wall looked down, Nori exclaiming, "And with an impressive team move, the Demonic Angels have sent the Slashing Explosions outside of the ring!" Beedrill nodding as the woman started the ten count.

"Come on, you two, get up!" Reika spat as many others in the crowd started to show their support as well, Scizor exclaiming, "Scyther, you can still fight, can't you!?"

"Yeah, where's that fighting spirit!?" Heracross snapped as Lopunny sighed, "I hate to say it, but it might not be enough."

And sure enough, Nori managed to reach the number ten as she rang the bell, exclaiming, "And the final match of the second round has ended with the Demonic Angels claiming victory!" Hoopa and Diancie's fans cheering while the rest of the crowd was mortified.

As if that was not enough, neither Scyther nor Talonflame were able to move. As such, Scizor immediately sprouted her wings and flew toward them, exclaiming, "SCYTHER!" landing in front of her and letting down tears, a light smile on her face as she sniffed, "I'm so proud of you. You may not have won, but honestly, I think you did a lot better than you would have if I had given you advice."

"Oh, my dear, sweet Talonflame!" Tsuya exclaimed as she raced toward the ring, medics coming in to place the Slashing Explosions on stretchers.

Sure, Scyther had been badly damaged before, but never had a post-fight injury been this bad. Not even Talonflame dislocating her arms and legs compared to what she had felt when Diancie pierced her.

"As I said, without help from others, she's a joke," Hoopa said with a smirk as Diancie let out a sigh, refusing to bring up the fact that she and Talonflame had come very close to winning.

Reika also joined them as Machoke glared at Hoopa. Diancie may have been a scary opponent, but she did not give off nearly as bad of vibes as the genie did. And of course, there was also his match with Smeargle and Vespiquen to worry about and those two had already proven themselves to be a major threat as well.

"So, when should I expect to meet my new partner?" the boy asked as he turned to Aipom, the monkey replying, "As I said earlier, she will show up for the match, but her fighting style is a bit similar to my own, so I can actually replicate the team moves that she came up with. She's studied your fighting style and is one-hundred percent certain that these moves will work for you."

Machoke had a light smile as he replied, "Almost sounds too good to be true. I look forward to meeting her," a look of concern taking over as he went to join Reika and the others. He knew all of them were likely headed to the hospital and he wanted to join them, not just to make sure Scyther would be alright but to also check up on Gardevoir.

And sure enough, Heracross and Lopunny nodded at one-another, heading out of the dome. Unlike Machoke, they wanted to get to training as soon as possible. After seeing just how tough Hoopa and Diancie really could be, there was no way they would take a break, even if they had finished a match not too long ago.

But as the two started to leave, Lopunny looked back and noticed that Diancie looked rather exhausted when leaving the ring, more so than Hoopa. But why? The genie had taken in the most damage during the fight and had done the most work.

"Just like before, we only have two days before the next round, not counting today of course," Beedrill stated, "So everyone had better prepare themselves! And to those in the audience, you definitely do not want to miss this one!" the crowd beyond excited. After all, the semi-finals may not have always had the most exciting matches in any tournament, but they always came very close.

Soon enough, Machoke and the others arrived at the hospital as Scyther and Talonflame were immediately rushed down the hall. However, when the two heroes were wheeled to their room, Machoke's eyes widened when he noticed both Masquerain and Florges in separate beds, the flower girl sound asleep while her friend's eyes were still droopy, the butterfly not even budging.

Reika turned and gasped, "When did they get in here!?" as a nurse explained, "Miss Florges was brought here earlier today. Masquerain, on the other hand, has been here for three days."

As worried about Scyther as Reika was and as much as Tsuya wanted to make sure Talonflame was okay, both were fixated on Masquerain right now. While Florges' injuries were not too much different from what heroes in these tournaments often dealt with, Masquerain's were another thing all together.

"I feel sorry for her," the nurse sighed, "No one knows how it happened, but someone or something pierced her brain," Machoke uttering, "So she's basically a vegetable now?"

Sure, Florges had told the group that Masquerain was badly injured, but she never said just how bad it was. But who could have done this to her? Was it Ditto? He had been posing as Beedrill, after all, so that was a possibility.

Either way, he had a feeling at least one of the remaining teams in the tournament was responsible for all of this and he intended on dealing with this. At the very least, he would defeat Smeargle in the semi-finals.


	27. Chapter 27

With only two days to prepare for the semi-finals, Machoke was hard at work with Aipom giving him all the help he could get. After all, he knew just how powerful of an opponent Smeargle was. If he was not even remotely prepared, he could wind up in the hospital and break his promise to Gardevoir. Though without any knowledge on who his ally was, would he truly be ready when the day came?

Whatever, the case, the boy had just practised a team move with Aipom, a grin on his face as he said, "Well, that's pretty easy to pull off," the monkey nodding and replying, "Yep, but it's also very effective."

While the two took a quick breather, the boy turned to his trainer and stated, "I find it strange how many of these moves involve your tail, though. Does my new partner have a tail?" Aipom nodding and replying, "Yep. You'll find that like me, she fights best with it as the rest of her body isn't that useful in combat."

"Now I'm starting to wonder if she'll really be the ultimate partner," Machoke groaned, lowering his eyelids, "I was even thinking of calling up Barbaracle, but you seemed really certain," Aipom trying her hardest not to take offence to this as she nodded and replied, "Trust me, she'll be a great help."

However, a part of her was starting to wonder if this was true. After all, the fact that her tail was the only strong part of her was a tad alarming. If anything, Machoke's brief moment of doubt made sense.

But even so, Aipom remembered what the wise simians had told her. They reassured her that she was, indeed, ready for this, that she had the skills to help Machoke win the semi-finals and hopefully return Smeargle to the good guy he once was. If anything, losing faith in herself was the last thing she should have done at this point.

And thus, once the break was up, she and Machoke got started on more training. Though as she did not wish to tell Machoke that she would be his partner yet, she would hold off weight-lifting until she was alone. After all, building up her muscles could make the boy suspicious.

During this time, it seemed Hawlucha had finally recovered as he left the hospital, a news crew surrounding him while his family tried to fight them off. However, the parrot simply his head, all three female humans backing up as he smiled at one of the cameras.

"How does it feel to finally wake up after almost a week?" a young woman asked as Hawlucha replied, "It feels muy bueno, but that's not what I wish to say. I have something I wish to tell Machoke if he's listening. And if he's not, hopefully one of his amigos can pass this message onto him. After all, I can only imagine how busy he must be preparing for the semi-finals."

With that, everyone else went silent as he took hold of a microphone, stating, "Senior Machoke, it was a pleasure fighting alongside you, even if it was just one match! I'd also like to congratulate you on your second win, though Golduck certainly won't be able to fight for a while!"

The blue duck in question was currently lying in bed awake and listening to this with a sigh. As much as it pained her, the parrot was right as while her recovery had certainly been much faster than everyone else's, her arms were still limp and would need another week to recover.

Back outside of the hospital, Hawlucha added, "I just want to wish you the best for the semi-finals! That Smeargle is a scary adversary, but I know you can take him down! I just hope your next partner can help you out. I'd rejoin you, but the doctor says I shouldn't partake in another match for a while."

As it just so happened, Gallade and Hitmonchan were both listening to this while visiting Gardevoir, big smiles on their faces as the parrot added, "Well, adios for now. I hope we'll get to hang out later."

And Hawlucha was not the only one who had recovered today. While Lucario, Clauncher and even Gardevoir were still unconscious, Blaziken had made a full recovery. After all, the move that had defeated her was nowhere near as devastating as what the green girl took in and thus she had also left the hospital shortly after Hawlucha had.

But unlike the parrot who had sent the boy a message about his recovery via news coverage, she intended to visit him at home. She had a feeling he could at least put off training for a few minutes just to talk to a friend he had not been able to speak to in over three days.

As such, the chicken approached his house to see him and Aipom training in the yard, smiling and saying, "Howdy, stranger," the two turning to face her, Machoke's eyes sparkling.

"Blaziken, you're awake!" the boy exclaimed as he ran over to her, giving her a light hug and asking, "Does this mean Gardevoir's okay too?" Blaziken shaking her head and replying, "No, she's still out like a light."

She then gritted her teeth and growled, "I swear, if I ever get my hands on that Smeargle for what he did to her! Who does that to his best friend!?" Aipom sighing, "Calm down. We're gonna take care of that in the semi-finals, right, Machoke?"

Machoke blinked and uttered, "Well, yeah, my new partner and I should be able to handle it," the monkey clasping her hands over her mouth. She had come close to letting her secret out and she certainly did not want that just yet.

Blaziken smirked and said, "Well, I had a feeling you'd make it that far," before sighing, "Before I left the hospital, I needed a few hours before I could get up. Luckily, the sports network was showing yesterday's matches. I can't believe it. This is the third time in a row some villain has snuck his or her way into a big Tokyo tournament, and this time, it was two."

Machoke let out a sigh and replied, "Yeah, but at least those two are taken care of," Blaziken nodding and adding, "Though it's a real shame you keep losing your partners. Once was one thing, but twice in a row?"

Aipom nodded and sighed, "And it's not just them either. I don't know if you've heard, but Florges and Masquerain were also sent to the hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if Ditto and Ditta were the ones behind Masquerain's brain damage, but I'm wondering who gave Florges such an awful beating, especially since we already dealt with those two."

Blaziken was certainly surprised to hear this as Machoke sighed, "I have a feeling Smeargle might have done it. Lord knows he's clearly not thinking straight right now plus he and Florges have history. But once I knock some sense into him, hopefully all these incidents will come to an end."

Blaziken folded her arms and nodded, sighing, "Not gonna lie, Machoke, I'm really hoping this new partner of yours is up to snuff. I would have gladly taken Golduck's place," Aipom wondering if maybe she should have waited.

However, she had already made her decision. She had faced off against the wise simians and proved herself in battle. She also knew Machoke's moves and how to work with them more than anyone else. No matter how one looked at it, she was still the best pick for the semi-finals.

After a bit more talking, Blaziken wished Machoke the best and headed off to let him continue his training. He and Aipom seemed fine as they were right now, so she saw no need to join in.

While this went on, Vespiquen was busy not so much training herself but training Smeargle. She wanted the beagle to keep his aggression up as she knew he would need it for a match with the former world champion's son. However, due to his power having reached incredible levels, she did not use simple tactics like weights but rather had him ram his tails repeatedly into iron dummies.

"Very good," Vespiquen said as she noticed him putting dents in one, "Your tail is already your most powerful weapon and you've only made it stronger," the beagle nodding and replying, "Oui! You've really helped shape moi into the hero I was always meant to be! Nothing can stop moi now!"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that," the bee remarked, "While you are, indeed, powerful, you've seen how much of a threat Machoke can be, right?" Smeargle blinking as she added, "You saw how in that last match, he pulled off a true miracle. He was all by himself yet he still managed to defeat both of his opponents at once. That is not the kind of fighter to take lightly, even if he is just a fighting type."

Smeargle nodded as Vespiquen added, "If anything, we need his most powerful moves on our side. His finishers are well-known throughout the world for how amazing they are, how even one such move can finish off the most powerful of adversaries with very few exceptions. As such, we are going to take a different approach and test a theory of mine."

"A theory?" Smeargle asked as the bee nodded and replied, "So far, you have only been able to sketch an opponent's moves from up close while watching the fighter use it in person, but have you ever tried sketching a move used on TV?" the beagle blinking as she added, "What I'm suggesting is that you watch at least one match where Machoke uses one of his infamous finishing moves and sketch it. You are to do this until you've learned all four of his solo finishers, got it?"

"Mais oui," Smeargle replied with a nod, "He'll be truly surprised when I turn his own finishing moves against him, non?" Vespiquen nodding with an implied smirk.

She could not have been more proud of her partner right now. It was as if he had become a son to her.

Meanwhile, Heracross and Lopunny were busy with their own training, though they had taken less breaks than Machoke. After all, Hoopa and Diancie had proven themselves surprisingly strong. There was no way the Bouncing Biceps would allow themselves to suffer the same fate as their allies.

However, much like how Scyther used to prepare for matches by going to other climates, back when her mother was the one choosing her training exercises, Lopunny and Heracross had chosen to train in the mountains. There was a lot to work with here, especially for the rhino beetle.

Heracross was currently lifting a large rock with his horn, groaning, "This isn't heavy enough!" flinging it behind him as it landed a small distance away, the beetle looking around until he found a bigger rock.

And while he lifted it up and down, Lopunny bounced around, leaping off of multiple rocks and other landforms, planting flying kicks into a few just to strengthen her feet. And shockingly, this actually seemed to work as the rabbit found herself putting small cracks into some of them. Considering how skinny she was, this was no small feat.

But of course, with her ears being her best weapon against any opponent, she would sometimes take a break from jumping and kicking to deliver multiple ear punches to rocks. If she could strike something that hard and get results, there was no doubt her ears could deal incredible pain to any opponent.

Soon enough, the duo was exhausted as they breathed heavily, Heracross grinning and saying, "We're ready for this," Lopunny nodding and pounding her fist against the beetle's, saying, "Yeah, those Demonic Angels won't know what hit them."

And the next day-and-a-half went by quickly. Machoke still found it strange that his partner had not once shown up to train with him, but Aipom reassured him that she would be ready. And thus, the boy was ready to get a full night's rest in preparation for this match.

As he slept, Aipom was still up with a light smile on her face, the monkey thinking, 'Just a little bit more,' checking up on the boy to make sure he was still asleep.

With that, she headed outside to do some last-minute weight-lifting. Not just for her tail but her arms as well. She remembered full-well what had happened when she caught Garchomp while she fell from two stories. Because the monkey had been so weak, her knees gave way and she was stuck in the hospital for the duration of the Olympics. She did not wish for something like that to happen again.

And soon enough, the morning of the big event came with only two hours before Machoke needed to arrive for his match with the Elegant Warriors. Despite having gone to bed an hour later than usual, Aipom had still woken up before the boy to make breakfast, though it was mostly cereal and toast. She did not wish to fill either her or Machoke up with foods such as bacon before a big match.

As Machoke took a bite of toast, the monkey smiled and asked, "So, you ready for your match today?" the boy nodding and saying, "I heard Gardevoir's supposed to regain consciousness today. I really hope she's awake. I want her to see me win."

Aipom nodded and thought, 'Lucky girl. She's gotten him to do anything for her,' the monkey then wondering if maybe it was time for her to consider dating. Up to this point, she had never taken an interest as she saw it as a waste of her intelligence.

And soon enough, everyone had arrived for the match. As much as Reika wanted to stay in the hospital to check up on Scyther, she decided to come to the Tokyo dome all the same. Not only did she know Machoke would likely need her support but she also wanted to make sure Heracross and Lopunny could defeat Hoopa and Diancie. And of course both Cici and Keiko were with her.

Tsuya, meanwhile, had chosen to stay behind in the hospital to watch over Talonflame, so she would watch from there instead. Though surprisingly even Gallade and Hitmonchan had decided to stay there and watch over Gardevoir. Though this was mostly due to Gallade wanting to be there when his sister finally woke up.

Golduck was still lying in bed, looking at the TV intensely while thinking, 'Come on, Machoke, you can do it.'

Unfortunately, Lucario and Clauncher were still comatose and thus could not watch the match, and the same of course went for Florges. Though while she could not wake up, it had gotten to a point where she could at least hear what was going on around her, so she at least had a way of knowing what would happen during the match while the TV in her room aired it.

Blaziken had gotten a front-row seat as the others arrived, a grin on her face as she waved to them. And soon enough, they had also taken a seat. And of course, all of them really hoped Machoke could win this match.

Just as they had gotten comfortable, Keiko looked around and asked, "Hey, have any of you seen Aipom?" Reika shrugging and replying, "Now that you mention it, no. I would have thought for sure she'd be here early as usual."

"Yes," Cici uttered, "It's not like her to miss one of Machoke's matches," Blaziken uttering, "Yeah. She usually worries way too much about Machoke. I hope something hasn't happened to her."

During this time, Machoke looked nervous while waiting by the entrance. As it just so happened, his partner had not yet arrived. Now he was starting to wonder if she would ever show up.

Luckily, he would soon have no reason to be concerned when he noticed a figure dressed in a cloak approach him, giving him a light wave. However, no hand had come out of the cloak as she said, "Hi, Machoke. I'm your partner."

The boy nodded with a light smile and said, "Nice to meet you, uh...?" holding out his hand as the cloaked figure bowed her head, seeming to ignore the gesture as she added, "I am Aipa," all the while thinking, 'Come on! Was that really the best name you could think of!?'

However, Machoke seemed to buy it as he said, "Oh yeah, Aipom mentioned you having a tail. You must be a member of her family or something," the monkey breathing a sigh of relief before saying, "Yes, um, we are cousins. That's why our names are similar," all the while thinking, 'Okay, enough! He's gonna find out who you are once you're in the ring! Don't push it!'

She then cleared her throat and added, "By the way, I've already submitted our team name, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, finally," Machoke said with a grin, "I would ask you to remove the cloak so I could see you, but you've actually given me a really good idea for an entrance," Aipom biting her lower lip and thinking, 'Shit.'

And once the bleachers had been filled, Beedrill and Nori both nodded at one-another as the wasp exclaimed, "Welcome, one and all, to the Ultimate World Team Tournament semi-finals! We've had two very exciting rounds so far, but this round is sure to be amazing!" the crowd now pumped up as Nori added, "We've seen quite a few surprises so far, including a pair of villains sneaking their way in here, but I'm sure there'll be much more to come as these four teams have proven themselves more than worthy of being here!"

With that in mind, Beedrill pointed to the Western entrance, stating, "In the red corner comes the hero who saved us all and a mysterious new ally! He has triumphed over the Venomous Titans, bested two villains and now he comes to us to likely impress us even more with an ally who is sure to help him out greatly! As such, it is my pleasure to introduce-" the wasp looking at the sheet with the team name on it, his eyes wide open as Nori looked over at it, uttering, "The Student Teacher Combo?"

Everyone was shocked to hear that name, Keiko uttering, "You don't suppose-" as suddenly, Machoke and his partner entered wearing cloaks, Machoke with a serious look in his eyes.

Aipom darted her eyes around, thinking, 'Well, this actually isn't that bad. In fact, it's kind of intimidating,' a part of her also feeling strangely happy just to be a part of all of this for once.

"Wow, he looks dignified," Reika said as Blaziken folded her arms, saying, "I bet a certain someone played a big part in that."

However, once the two climbed into the ring, Keiko briefly noticing wood sticking out from under the cloak of Machoke's partner, Machoke threw off his cloak as everyone, Aipom included, staring at him as he had a flashy outfit on, laughing and exclaiming, "BET YOU DIDN'T EXPECT THAT, DID YOU!?"

Some members of the crowd shielded their eyes as Aipom groaned, 'Why?' Machoke turning and uttering, "Aren't you gonna remove your cloak?"

'He's right,' Aipom thought, 'I can't fight in this,' and thus the monkey proceeded to latch onto the cloak to her tail hand, hurling it off of her as the crowd gasped.

It was just as Keiko and the others suspected, though what surprised them the most was Machoke's reaction, the boy staring in stunned silence at the sight of his trainer standing right next to him on stilts. She then leapt off of them, balling her tail hand up into a fist before using it to smack the objects away from her, no one sure whether to cheer or be concerned for the monkey's safety.

"You mean to tell me-?" Machoke uttered as Aipom sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I had a feeling if I did, you'd probably try to convince me not to. But mark my words, I've been training a lot recently for this. I turned to three masters to help give me the skills to help you. I know I can be a good ally for you."

"Actually, I would have been okay with that," Machoke replied, scratching the side of his head as the monkey went wide-eyed, barking, "What!?"

The boy nodded with a grin, replying, "You may be small, but you taught me a lot of the skills I know today. Size aside, I actually feel comfortable knowing you're gonna fight with me."

The crowd was now cheering as Nori stated, "It would seem Machoke didn't even know Aipom was his partner, but either way, it's gotten this crowd truly excited, and the same goes for me! We've never seen Aipom in action before, so this is sure to be a real treat!"

Even Reika had a light smile on her face, saying, "Machoke's matches are always full of surprises, aren't they?" Keiko nodding and adding, "I'm actually looking forward to this. Like Aipom, Ambipom fought once when Machamp was badly injured by a villain named Electrode. He had been beaten really badly during that match and Ambipom was the only one there to fight in his stead."

"Wow, how did that turn out?" Reika asked as her mother replied, "She surprised everyone. Despite her being only a little bit taller than Aipom at the time and roughly the same age, she put up an amazing fight and ultimately defeated Electrode in the end. I wonder if Aipom will do the same."

Cici was truly amazed as Blaziken smirked, saying, "This just got even more interesting."

And once the crowd's excitement died down a bit, Beedrill pointing toward the Eastern entrance and exclaimed, "And in the blue corner, these two really shocked and amazed us all in the first round, and have even pulled out more surprises in round two! For all we know, this could very well be Machoke's second official loss, but we'll just have to wait and see! Here for you today, the Elegant Warriors!"

Some members of the crowd went wild as once again, a fancy musical score played while Vespiquen and Smeargle walked toward the ring hand-in-hand. Their outfits were even more fancy this time as Machoke lowered his eyelids, finding this pretentious now.

And once the two approached the ring, Smeargle bowed his head as Vespiquen fluttered up onto the ringside, helping her partner up and saying, "Why, thank you, kind sir," Smeargle once again kissing her hand with a more dramatic bow than before.

While this still did not feel like a fight entrance, at this point, Smeargle's fans had gotten used to it and applauded him, one saying, "These two should be on Broadway or something."

Vespiquen bowed before removing her outfit, Smeargle doing the same as Aipom thought, 'He acts so calm and collective, but I see through that. As soon as he starts fighting, he'll be as ruthless as before, I just know it. And there's no doubt in my mind that Vespiquen is responsible for all of this.'

"I have to say, I'm a tad disappointed," the bee said, folding her arms, "I was hoping you'd find a much stronger ally, Machoke, but nevertheless, I'm hoping for a good match anyway. Your reputation is quite astounding and those last two matches have certainly proven to me that you have earned it."

"Oh, um, thanks, I guess," Machoke uttered as Vespiquen added, "It would be an honour if you faced me first."

Just as the boy was about to agree, Aipom tapped him on the side and whispered, "I don't trust her one bit. Let me go first," the boy biting his lower lip before nodding. It seemed like the monkey knew what she was doing.

And as he climbed over the rope, standing beside the ring, the crowd was rather surprised as Vespiquen shrugged and turned to Smeargle, saying, "I know how much you would love to go first. Well, I suspect this one won't be that strong, so any move she has probably isn't worth sketching anyway. So go ahead."

The beagle's eyes sparkled as he nodded, replying, "Oui. Merci beaucoup," Vespiquen heading to the ringside as well, both fighters now ready to begin.

Aipom was certain she would be able to help Machoke do what the two teams before them could not. After all, Gardevoir was depending on Machoke's victory.


	28. Chapter 28

This was it. Aipom gave Smeargle a serious look as she thought, 'Alright, it's time to put my new skills to the test. I know he's strong, but I'm certain I can be strong too.'

And with that, Nori rang the bell as Smeargle sprinted toward Aipom with his tails at the ready. But just was he was about to strike, the monkey closed her eyes, seeing him coming as she leapt over his head. Before the beagle could even respond, Aipom performed a vertical flip, sending her tail fist into his skull.

The crowd went wild as the monkey took full advantage of this, clinging to his head while wrapping her tail around his neck. And unlike Kecleon's tongue, her tail was actually strong and as such, Smeargle felt pain from this as he stuck out his tongue, trying to pry the part off of him.

The crowd cheered as Nori stated, "And Aipom opens up with a hard punch to the skull and a neck hold. Already, the little monkey is off to a good start," only for Smeargle to grit his teeth, Vespiquen saying, "You know how to get out of this. This is nothing."

The beagle nodded and lifted up his middle tail, Machoke about to warn Aipom only for the monkey to leap off of Smeargle just in time to avoid the incoming strike. And she had much more planned as she balled up her tail hand into a fist again, throwing it forward between her legs thus striking Smeargle in the face.

The crowd cheered even louder as she then opened her tail hand, clutching onto Smeargle's snout. She then leaned backwards, performing a handstand while lifting him up and shouting, "TAIL FRANKENSTEINER!"

The crowd was truly amazed as she managed to not only lift Smeargle high above her head but also slam his skull hard into the canvas. What was even more shocking was that despite only having taken in a few hits, this one blow had been enough to get the beagle to cough up a bit of blood, Beedrill exclaiming, "Now it's easy to see why Aipom was Machoke's trainer all this time! She's incredible!"

Aipom stared wide-eyed at Smeargle lying on his back, a big smile on her face. As serious as she was about this match, the fact that she of all fighters had pulled this off so early was beyond exciting. She never would have believed that she would have been capable of that, at least not until her teen years.

"Way to go, Aipom!" Keiko exclaimed, Cici giving her a light smile while Blaziken shouted, "You're the bomb!" flashing her two thumbs up.

Hoopa and Diancie both stared at this as the sylph uttered, "That monkey is strong," Hoopa nodding and saying, "Yeah. She's stronger than that demon girl."

Vespiquen's eyes were wide now as she thought, 'What was I thinking? It should have been obvious! The reason she went first is because she knew there was no way either of us could take advantage of her! She's never been seen in a fight, so no one actually knows any of her abilities! Machoke couldn't have asked for a better ally!'

However, Smeargle was far from finished as he slowly pushed himself up, taking many deep breaths before glaring at Aipom, the monkey trying her hardest not to show fear. But it would certainly be difficult as the beagle rose to his feet, growling, "I'll admit, you got the drop on moi, but your skills are nothing special! Now that I've seen how you fight, I can easily win this!"

Aipom tried her hardest not to feel intimidated by this, but she knew how strong the beagle was. As such, she watched him closely as he rushed toward her with his tails at the ready.

"TRIPLE TAIL PEN BARRAGE!" the beagle exclaimed when he got close enough, Aipom leaping away from him only to be pursued.

She would have tried blocking it as having three hands, she could have easily pulled that off. However, she knew full-well that doing so would only result in her taking multiple stabs to said spots.

'If I can keep this up, I can get him to use up his energy,' the monkey thought after dodging twenty jabs, 'My monkey DNA gives me the energy to go on for a long time, and while dogs are known for their energy as well, theirs is much more limited.'

However, it seemed Aipom had lost complete focus as she wound up tripping over her left foot, her eyes widening as she skipped backward, barely keeping her balance. She ultimately managed to regain her footing, but she had also been slowed down enough to take a stab to her shoulder.

The crowd looked horrified as Smeargle continued his onslaught, Aipom realizing she had little choice as she held up her arms and tail hand in front of her face. And just as she predicted, this dealt considerable pain to her as Smeargle sent all three tails into her tail hand, blood flying out as the monkey tried her hardest not to cry out in agony.

"OH MY GOD, ARE YOU OKAY!?" Machoke spat as Aipom nodded and backed up, taking a deep breath and thinking, 'Is this what Machoke always deals with? No wonder he used to be so scared of combat.'

Vespiquen implied a devious smile and said, "Good job, Smeargle. You managed to make up for the pain you took in earlier. Though honestly, I think you can do better. Why not have her fall victim to a move she's all too familiar with? It'll not only shock her, but Machoke will be devastated to see this used on his beloved trainer."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Machoke remarked with confusion, "I already know what finishing moves Smeargle has sketched. And just so you know, we've been coming up with counters for all of them."

"Well, that's nice," Vespiquen remarked, "But that knowledge won't help you. Smeargle, use finishing move number three."

The crowd was confused as Reika asked, "Wait, move number three? Does she mean the third move he sketched? Which one was that again?"

Aipom did not wish to find out as when Smeargle charged at her, she leapt to the side with her fist at the ready. However, the beagle saw this coming as he took hold of her tail, the monkey's eyes widening as the beagle leaned back, planting his foot into her gut and sending her flying above the ring.

The crowd gasped as Smeargle ran toward the ropes, leaping off of them and tucking himself into a ball. Machoke's eyes and mouth were wide open as he spat, "NO WAY! HOW CAN HE POSSIBLY KNOW THAT ONE!?"

And sure enough, just as Aipom was about to hit the mat, Smeargle flew into her back, reverting to his normal state and reaching his arms and legs back. He then took hold of the monkey's ankles and wrists, spinning like a wheel as the crowd stared in horror.

"We're witnessing something truly amazing right now!" Nori exclaimed, "Despite Machoke having not even used it once during the match, Smeargle seems to have mastered his infamous Sunset Slam!"

And it seemed so as the beagle and monkey headed toward the mat, Smeargle shouting, "SUNSET SLAM!" planting Aipom's gut into the mat before taking hold of her head and slamming it hard against the canvas.

Due to her lack of muscles, this actually seemed like it might have been enough as Aipom lay there, her body not moving an inch. With that, Beedrill blinked and uttered, "This could very well be the shortest match so far. If one member from either team is knocked out before the tornado tag portion, both of them lose."

Machoke trembled as Vespiquen folded her arms and thought, 'That is a touch disappointing, but at least we got results,' Hoopa gritting his teeth and grunting, "Damn you, Vespiquen! You could have at least taken out Machoke! At least then, you claiming victory over him instead of me would have been less annoying!"

Diancie stared at the genie with confusion but shrugged her shoulders, knowing better than to question this as Nori started the ten count. Reika stared in shock, uttering, "It can't be over yet, can it?"

"Hate to say it, but this makes sense," Blaziken growled, "Aipom may have some good skills, but she's nowhere near as strong as us. Even Mawile has more resistance to pain than she does."

However, just as Nori reached eight, she stopped and gasped when Aipom opened her eyes, placing all three hands against the mat and pushing herself up. She took many deep breaths and grunted, "That was nothing!"

The crowd cheered for the monkey as Smeargle stared in horror. How could someone so weak get up from something like that? Sure, that was the only impressive hit he had made so far, but even so, it should have been enough.

Even so, his shock faded as he let out a sigh and said, "You should have stayed down, Mademoiselle Aipom. Now that I know you can still stand, I'm going to unleash even more pain upon you."

The monkey bit her lower lip as Machoke held out his hand, exclaiming, "Aipom, you wanna tag me?" Aipom letting out a sigh and nodding. She hated to admit it, but right now, she certainly needed to take Machoke's place if they were to stand a chance.

With that, she ran toward the boy as Smeargle charged at her with his arms and tails at the ready, shouting, "NON!" but just as he got close, Aipom proceeded to turn around, latching her tail onto one of the beagle's hands and taking hold of the other with her normal hands.

She could see Smeargle attempting to use his tails and thus knew she would need to act fast. As such, she proceeded to lift him up, leaning backward and shouting, "TRI-HAND SUPLEX!" slamming his head hard against the mat while the crowd cheered wildly.

"And Aipom surprises us once again!" Nori exclaimed as the monkey thought, 'All that extra training actually made that easier to pull off,' a light smile on her face as she ran over to Machoke, tagging him in as the boy gave her a thumb up, taking her place.

"So far, Aipom has really proven herself a force to be reckoned with," Beedrill stated, "Not only has she landed quite a few impressive hits so far, but she even got up after taking in the mighty Sunset Slam, arguably Machoke's most powerful finishing move."

"Speaking of which, I need to ask you something?" Machoke stated with a frown, "How did you learn that ability? I can understand if you had sketched my other finishing moves during my previous fights, but it's like Nori said, I haven't used Sunset Slam during this tournament once."

Vespiquen implied a smirk and replied, "I can field this one. In all actuality, Smeargle was unable to sketch your abilities while watching you fight before as he wasn't close enough for the ability to work. As such, I had him watch every recorded moment of you using your finishing moves. I figured since he would be close to the image on the screen, it might be possible for him to pull it off, and it would seem I was right."

Machoke's eyes widened as he uttered, "So he knows all of my finishing moves now?" Aipom replying, "It's okay, Machoke. Don't forget, you faced an opponent who was able to turn your abilities against you in round two," the boy nodding and putting on a more serious look.

"She's right," Machoke stated, "Besides, I swore to Gardevoir that I'd put you in your place and I intend to do just that after the way you betrayed her!"

In the hospital, just as was predicted, Gardevoir was awake to watch this match right now. Upon hearing these words, the girl had a light smile while thinking, 'I know you can put him in his place, Machoke. I want my friend back,' Gallade and Hitmonchan both hoping for the same. As for Kirlia and Ralts, they unfortunately had to return to Paris as their vacation time was up.

Smeargle's eyes widened briefly in response to this but he quickly put on a more serious look, charging toward the boy. Machoke saw this coming as he quickly dodged to the right, sending a roundhouse into the side of the beagle's head.

Unfortunately, Smeargle ignored this completely as he sent one of his tails into Machoke's ankle, piercing his flesh as the boy cried out in pain, Smeargle's fans cheering while the others looked in horror. And it would only get worse as Smeargle proceeded to bend down, swinging Machoke with his tail before flinging him hard into the turnbuckle.

Reika winced at the sight of this, blood trickling down Machoke's ankle as Aipom whimpered, "Machoke, are you alright?" the boy grinning and rubbing the back of his head, replying, "Come on, you know me better than that."

With that in mind, the boy raced toward Smeargle. Once he was close, the beagle sent his tails forward only for the boy to dodge to the right. And as Smeargle redirected one of his tails toward the boy, Machoke saw this coming as he took hold of it, lifting the beagle high above his head and leaning sideways, slamming the side of his head hard against the mat.

The crowd went wild as Nori stated, "After taking in quite a powerful hit from Smeargle, Machoke follows it up with an impressive counter. He fully intends on getting back at the dog for what he did to Gardevoir and it shows."

And with that in mind, Machoke refused to let Smeargle get up just yet as he leapt into the air, aiming an elbow drop toward his side. Unfortunately, Smeargle would not allow this as he gritted his teeth, sending one of his tails into the very part aimed at him.

The crowd gasped as Machoke cried out in pain, Smeargle using this opportunity to plant his other tails into the same spot, swinging them sideways as Machoke's side was slammed against the mat. He then removed his tails and said, "I'm actually a tad disappointed right now, Monsieur Machoke. I've seen your matches, heard all about your family and their incroyable skills, and yet so far, your abilities are a lot simpler and easier to exploit than Aipom's."

Blaziken and Aipom both gritted their teeth as the beagle sent his tails rapidly into Machoke's gut, shouting, "Aipom may be weaker than you, but at least her pattern was far more creative! You, on the other hand, rely on the most basic of moves, but I guess that can't be helped! After all, you're only a fighting type! You don't have anything special in your arsenal!"

The crowd watched in horror as Machoke's body was covered in holes now. However, it was still too early in the match for him to possibly fall to this as he gritted his teeth, holding up his arms and allowing them to be pierced by two of the beagle's tails.

"One thing you've forgotten is how unpredictable I can be!" the boy stated with a smirk before throwing his arms back, Smeargle's eyes widening as he found himself flung over the boy, his head hitting the canvas while the crowd cheered.

However, it was not over for Smeargle yet as Vespiquen sighed, "Smeargle, you've done a good job so far, but I think it is time for me to take a shot at this. We only have a little over a minute before the tornado tag portion and I would like you to be in better health for that."

With that, the beagle let out a sigh and nodded, springing up to his feet and sprinting toward Vespiquen. Machoke would have tried to stop him, but it was too late as he tagged in his partner, the bee taking his place.

"And after all that, Smeargle has switched places with Vespiquen," Beedrill stated, "But can she possibly do a better job than him? She is full of surprises, but her physical strength isn't quite on his level."

However, Machoke knew better than to take Vespiquen lightly. She was clearly the mastermind behind this team, the one who had brought Smeargle to this point. She was not to be taken lightly, not for a second.

'Alright, this could be tough,' Aipom thought, 'As far as basic moves go, she's nowhere near as dangerous as Smeargle, but there's still one glaring problem, that string of hers. So far, it seems practically unavoidable. If Machoke gets caught in it, he might just be a sitting duck until the tornado tag portion starts.'

The boy was fully aware of this as he did not even wait for Vespiquen to make the first move. He was almost one-hundred percent sure she would try her Attack Order, and he did not wish to deal with that as he ran to the side.

It seemed Vespiquen was more prepared for this than one would have expected as she immediately lifted up her arm, aiming her claws at the boy's shoulder. Machoke dodged it just in time as the bee frowned, releasing her bees. But as the small, fake bugs flew toward Machoke, he knew right away that being near Vespiquen right now was a bad idea.

As such, he immediately backed away from the bees, Vespiquen flying toward him as he attempted to dodge to the left. However, this was exactly what the bee wanted as she flew to where he was headed. And with Machoke too distracted by trying to dodge her strings, she proceeded to scratch his shoulder, the boy wincing as he knelt down, the bees flying around him as he was soon bound in place.

"No! Machoke!" Aipom screeched as Vespiquen implied a smirk, saying, "You were smart to see this move coming, but it seems like it didn't help you in the end," the bee then flipping herself backwards while shouting, "ATTACK ORDER!" slamming Machoke's face hard against the canvas.

Her fans cheered while the rest of the crowd winced, Nori saying, "And once again, Vespiquen gets the upper hand with her infamous Attack Order! It seems like no one will find a way around this!" Blaziken gritting her teeth and growling, "Dammit! I wish I could have thought of something!"

Gardevoir watched this from the hospital and bit her lower lip, wondering if anyone could figure out how this move worked. Gallade gritted his teeth and cursed, "Dammit, that move is so cheap! I don't care if it's a part of her! It should be illegal!" Hitmonchan sighing, "Well, Machoke has a knack for getting out of these situations. Maybe he'll find a way around it."

He could certainly need to pick up the pace as Vespiquen twirled with him still bound up, much like what she had done when she trapped Gothitelle and Mawile. She then flew over to the nearest turnbuckle, Machoke squirming to free himself but to no avail, his head rammed repeatedly against the pole as Vespiquen exclaimed, "ATTACK ORDER CAROUSEL!"

As the boy took in the multiple blows, Aipom bit her lower lip, rubbing her temple and thinking, 'Come on! There's gotta be a way around this!' Nori stating, "So far, it's not looking good for the Student Teacher Combo. What started off favourably took a turn for worse when not Smeargle but Vespiquen entered the ring. Can Machoke be the first to find a way out of those strings?"

At that moment, Cici remembered something as her eyes widened, the blue-haired girl squealing, "Hey, Machoke! I know what you can do!" the boy now ignoring the pain to his head and directing his eyes toward her, the girl adding, "Remember how you escaped from Giratina's grip when he had you trapped! You were about to take in his Ominous Wind Suplex, but you pulled through!"

"That's right!" Machoke exclaimed as he took a deep breath, thinking, 'I remember it taking quite a bit out of me, but if it helps me escape from this move, it's worth it,' everyone staring as Aipom uttered, "Will that actually work?"

With that, Machoke gritted his teeth and focused as hard as he could, Vespiquen sighing, "What are you trying to do?" when suddenly, she noticed the boy's muscles start to expand as they pressed up against the strings, pushing them out a little bit to the point where people could actually see them now.

However, as of now, he had only used a small fraction of the force he had used to escape from Giratina's clutches, and yet this seemed to be enough as two of the bees spun around each-other making it clear that the strings attached to them had been untied. That was all the boy needed as he reverted his muscles to normal, leaping up before he could be bound a second time.

However, escaping from Vespiquen's grip was not all he had planned as he sent a flying kick with both feet into the bee's face, the crowd going wild as he then propelled himself backward, flipping vertically and landing in front of the smaller bees, which were all lying on the ground now. As such, a smirk formed on his face as he proceeded to lift them up, Vespiquen's eyes wide with horror as Machoke swung her around, flinging her into the turnbuckle.

The crowd went wild as she coughed up a small bit of green blood, Reika clapping and shouting, "CICI, YOU'RE A GENIUS!" the blue-haired girl blushing lightly and uttering, "Well, I'm sure anyone else could have come up with that in due time."

Keiko chuckled and replied, "No need to be so modest," as Aipom breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, 'Good thing he didn't use too much force, though I'm sure he knows that using that technique again could cost him the match. It's a great defensive manoeuvre but also requires a great deal of energy.'

Even so, things were finally starting to look up as Vespiquen grunted, breathing heavily and retracting her strings. But as Machoke was ready to go in for more, Nori rang the bell thus signalling the start of the tornado tag portion. With that in mind, Aipom and Smeargle both leapt into the ring.

With Machoke's back turned to the beagle, he failed to notice him setting up for a counter. But just as his attack was about to land, Aipom spun her body around, sending her tail fist hard into the side of his head, knocking him on his side while the crowd cheered even louder.

"And with that, the Student Teacher Combo has the advantage back!" Nori stated, "But with Vespiquen and Smeargle working together, can this last?"

Aipom smiled at Machoke and lifted up her tail fist, saying, "Great job," Machoke nodding and adding, "Thanks for the save," both pounding their fists together.

The crowd still had so much trouble believing this. With Aipom being so short and not coming close to Machoke's physical strength, this seemed like a bad combination, and yet so far, Aipom had proven herself a very good ally for the boy. But even so, she had only done well by herself so far. Hopefully she and Machoke would do a good job together otherwise the Elegant Warriors could very well get the upper hand back.


	29. Chapter 29

So far, the match between the Student Teacher Combo and the Elegant Warriors had been back-and-forth. The Elegant Warriors had dealt many powerful blows and yet Aipom and Machoke had made quite a few comebacks. However, now that both members of each team were fighting together, just how would this match play out?

So far, it looked favourable as Machoke and Aipom had managed to deal damage to each opponent's head. But even so, Smeargle and Vespiquen had proven themselves to be formidable as both glared at the two heroes before them.

"I'll admit, this match has been interesting, but I think it's time we show them who the real winners are," Vespiquen stated as Smeargle nodded and asked, "Should I use move number quatre yet?"

The bee implied a smile and replied, "Yes. But use it on Machoke when the time comes. I'll help you set up for that, but don't forget, that Aipom is capable of getting in our way. We'll make sure that doesn't happen, yes?"

"Oui," Smeargle replied with a nod as Aipom tapped her chin, using this time to come up with a strategy, Machoke asking, "So, any ideas?"

"I'd say go on the defensive, but with these two, that's hardly a good idea," Aipom replied, "Each one has at least one move that can easily bypass our defences. I say we catch them off-guard with a little team move, don't you think?"

Machoke nodded with a grin as he noticed Vespiquen and Smeargle had finished their conversation. With that in mind, he wasted no time lifting up Aipom by her tail, the crowd interested as he flung her forward, Vespiquen readying herself to counter. After all, the Queens of Darkness had used a similar move of them before.

However, just as it looked like the monkey was going to use an obvious tactic, the crowd gasped when Machoke leapt toward her, taking hold of her tail again, using the momentum to spin vertically with her, the two forming a big wheel and rolling along the mat. The crowd went wild as the two spat, "BIG MONKEY BOULDER!" striking the bee hard in the chest, causing her to cough up a bit of green blood as she flew backward into the ropes.

As Smeargle readied himself to counter, he was unprepared for what happened next as Aipom leapt out of the formation, spinning vertically into the ropes and bouncing off. Smeargle was too focused on Machoke to notice the monkey fly toward him, ramming into the side of his head as his eyes and mouth widened with shock. And it would only get worse for him as Machoke retracted from his wheel-like state and leapt at him with his arm out, taking hold of his neck and knocking him on his back.

Nori beamed and exclaimed, "And the Student Teacher Combo lands a rather complex yet really effective team move! Though I have to wonder why Machoke had to release Aipom first. Didn't that make the move more difficult to pull off?"

"Yes, but I can see why they did it," Beedrill replied as he pulled a chart out of nowhere, pointing at an example of what would have happened if Machoke had clung to the tail the whole time, saying, "The problem is that due to Aipom's small size and lack of physical strength, had Machoke held onto her, she wouldn't have been able to spin as Machoke would have been too heavy for her. But since she started spinning before he took hold of her tail, she had already built up incredible speed thus both were able to use the momentum to form a living wheel."

Smeargle gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "NON!" before sending all three tails up before Machoke could leap off of him.

However, the boy saw this coming as he reacted just in time to get away from the beagle, Vespiquen glaring at the two. Just from that one move, she could tell that setting them up for whatever move they had planned would not be easy.

But even so, there was no way she would allow them to land another hit as she said, "Alright, Smeargle, we're going to have to hold off on move number four. When the time comes, I'll let you know," the beagle nodding as Vespiquen flew toward Aipom.

The monkey prepared herself as Smeargle rushed at Machoke, the boy preparing himself as well. But just as it looked like the two were ready to counter, the Elegant Warriors both nodded at one-another before shifting around, each one aiming for a different target.

"Wait, what?" Machoke uttered as Vespiquen sent her arm hard into his neck, knocking him on his back while Smeargle leapt sideways toward Aipom, sending all three tails into her skull thus causing her to lose balance and fall on her face.

Smeargle's fans cheered, but the rest of the crowd was dumbfounded as Nori said, "Here's something we haven't seen yet in this tournament. In order to confuse their opponents, the Elegant Warriors switched targets and it seems their tactic worked!"

And it would only get worse from here as Vespiquen proceeded to float above Machoke, releasing the big orange stinger from her abdomen and shouting, "NOW STAY DOWN!" descending toward him and adding, "FELL STINGER!"

Machoke found himself unable to dodge in time as he took the stinger to his gut, coughing up blood as the crowd gasped. Reika trembled and uttered, "No, they were doing so well," as Keiko took a deep breath, replying, "I'm sure he'll get up from this. He's dealt with worse before."

However, he would certainly need to get up soon as Aipom was currently overwhelmed. She had miraculously recovered and sprung to her feet before Smeargle could strike her while she was down, but now she was once again dodging his Triple Tail Pen Barrage, having even more trouble than before as the damage dealt to her caused her to lose a bit of energy.

Just as she had built up a slight momentum, Vespiquen immediately flew at her from the side, striking her shoulder before she could respond. With that, the monkey whimpered as she found herself unable to avoid taking in more stabs, what originally started as small wounds opening up and becoming worse.

Even Smeargle's fans were having trouble watching this. Sure, they wanted him to win, and they knew full-well how brutal these matches could be, but seeing him deal this kind of damage to the only participants not in her teens was painful. Aipom may have been a hero and knew what she had gotten herself into, but this still seemed extreme.

'I knew he was going to be a challenge, but I thought for sure my fights with the wise simians would prepare me for this,' Aipom thought while trying her hardest to resist the pain, 'Those three can't even compare to Smeargle right now!'

Luckily for Aipom, though, Smeargle eventually stopped his assault. But it seemed this was merely so Vespiquen could wrap her arms around the monkey, lifting her up and leaning backward thus planting her head into the canvas.

As if this was not enough, that hit seemed to have knocked Aipom out cold, though most of the crowd was not too surprised. After all, it was a miracle she had even resisted as much damage as she had up to this point.

Gardevoir bit her lip while watching this, whimpering, "Please get up, Machoke!" the others hoping for the same thing.

And just as Nori was about to start the ten count, it seemed their wish came true as Machoke opened his eyes and propelled himself back up. However, no sooner after his recovery did he notice the horrifying sight of his trainer passed out, Vespiquen and Smeargle both turning to face him with maniacal looks in their eyes.

"Aipom certainly surprised us, but as far as partners go, she was by far the worst you could have asked for," Vespiquen stated, Machoke gritting his teeth as Smeargle could tell she was only saying this to get under the boy's skin.

Though unlike the bee who had seen Aipom's true potential before, the beagle wondered if she was correct or not. After all, both Hawlucha and Golduck had sustained far more damage and still remained standing for the most part.

Even so, Machoke was determined to end this, with or without the monkey. He turned to her and thought, 'You rest now. I'll finish these two for us.'

With that, the boy rushed toward the two with fire in his eyes, Vespiquen thinking, 'This is too perfect,' but just as she was about to retaliate, the boy leapt high above her head, planting both of her feet into her skull.

The crowd cheered as Smeargle tried to retaliate only for Machoke to propel himself off of Vespiquen's face, sending a roundhouse into the beagle's forehead. Then with both distracted, he proceeded to take them by the arms and spin around, flinging each one into a turnbuckle.

"And it seems Machoke fully intends to make up for the damage dealt earlier!" Nori exclaimed, "Just like how Golduck held her own when he was knocked out during the match with the Transforming Terrors, Machoke is doing his absolute best to take these two all by himself!"

Reika breathed a sigh of relief and sighed, "That's our Machoke, always worrying us and making comebacks," Keiko nodding and replying, "Yep, just like his father."

However, it seemed his moves had not had nearly the kind of impact that Golduck's had as Vespiquen and Smeargle easily recovered, nodding at one-another. With that, Vespiquen flew toward Machoke as the boy readied himself.

However, he was shocked when Smeargle started darting back and forth, the boy trying to follow his movements. As a result, he lost focus on Vespiquen as the bee used her claws to slash him in the back.

The boy cried out in pain as Blaziken groaned, "Oh no," Machoke unable to respond now as Smeargle got behind him, locking his arms in place and saying, "I could just as easily use one of your more famous techniques, but you probably know how to counter both of them. Non, I intend to use the one move no one has found a counter for yet."

Panic filled Machoke's friends as Cici whimpered, "He doesn't mean that move, does he?" Tsuya groaning, "I think he does!"

Back in the hospital, Gallade and Hitmonchan were both terrified as they knew what was coming. And of course, Gardevoir was just as scared as she whimpered, "Please, Smeargle, don't do it!"

With that, the beagle leapt high above the ring, latching his legs onto Machoke's ankles and pulling back, spinning like a twister. He then proceeded to lean backward so both of their heads were facing the mat, Machoke terrified out of his mind. And to make it worse, the world had only seen him land the completed version of this, so this was the one Smeargle had sketched as he pulled extra hard, bending the boy's back.

The two fell toward the canvas Smeargle exclaimed, "MUSCLE TORNADO!" slamming the boy's face hard against the surface.

All went silent as Machoke's nostrils were bleeding horribly, Smeargle releasing his hold on the boy and allowing him to collapse. His eyes were now rolled to the back of his head as even Smeargle's fans were unsure of how to react to this.

"And after that amazing recovery, Machoke has just taken in his most recent finishing move," Beedrill stated, "He may not be able to get up from this one, folks," Nori starting the ten count.

Vespiquen implied a proud smile with her eyes and said, "Excellent job, Smeargle. You've truly proven yourself the ultimate ally," Hoopa staring at this and nodding, saying, "You know what? As much as I wanted that match, seeing him fall to his own finishing move is pretty satisfying," Diancie breathing a sigh of relief. She was worried the genie might very well turn on Vespiquen for this.

Seeing this, Gardevoir stared in horror and squeaked, "MACHOKE! GET UP!" Gallade patting her on the head and uttering, "He can't hear you," before groaning, "But seriously, pull off another miracle, man. You have a knack for that."

And just as Nori was about to reach ten, it was not Machoke but Aipom who had made a shocking recovery, the crowd gasping as the monkey slowly rose to her feet, breathing heavily. She then looked over at Machoke with a look of concern, screeching, "Machoke!"

"He put up a valiant effort, but ultimately, he couldn't handle the two of us," Vespiquen stated with a look of annoyance, "Take my advice and just give up right now, Aipom. You can't handle the two of us by yourself and you know it."

The monkey stared silently, biting her lower lip and starting to consider it. However, she also knew that she could not let Machoke down and as such, she sported a more serious look and retorted, "You can tare me limb from limb, but I will never run from a fight!"

The bee let out a sigh as she said, "Smeargle, you can take her yourself," Reika gritting her teeth and growling, "I wish that was me in the ring! I'd show that smug bitch a thing or two about respect!" Blaziken nodding and replying, "You and me both."

Smeargle raced toward Aipom as the monkey scowled and thought, 'Alright, good, Vespiquen's over-confident. If I just focus on one of them, I can at least stall them until Machoke recovers.'

With that, she waited for the beagle to get close before leaping over his head, flipping vertically and shouting, "TAIL HAMMER!" ramming her fist hard into his skull.

She then wrapped her tail around his neck, landing on all fours before lifting the beagle up, the crowd cheering as she started to swing him around. Seeing this, Vespiquen gasped as she thought, 'This isn't possible! How can she still have so much energy!?'

But before Vespiquen could move in and help, Aipom flung the beagle hard into her gut, the bee falling on her back while the crowd went wild, Nori stating, "It's almost like all that pain from earlier meant nothing! Aipom's managed to pull off two incredible moves! Clearly she intends to carry this team by herself, just like Machoke tried to do when she was unconscious!"

"Way to go, Aipom!" Reika exclaimed, "She's so cool!" Keiko nodding and replying, "Ambipom would be proud."

However, the monkey was still worried as Machoke had not moved an inch during that time. As impressive as that had been, she was unsure whether or not she could possibly keep that up. Not only that, but she had no idea how much pain she could handle at this point.

Even so, she could not allow Smeargle and Vespiquen to have their way as she lunged at them before they could make a full recovery, sending a hard punch into Smeargle's forehead. She then leapt back right before the beagle could respond, the Elegant Warriors rising and glaring at her.

Aipom tried her best not to look scared as Gardevoir closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and thinking, 'That's right, Auntie taught me how communicate to Machoke without being there. I think it is time to help him out once more.'

Hitmonchan stared at the girl, uttering, "What's your sister doing?" Gallade staring and asking, "Wait, is this that thing Psyla taught you to do?"

Since Gardevoir needed full focus, she could not answer the question. Sure, this would be more difficult as when she used this ability before, Psyla had been there to give her a boost in power. Despite this, she placed her hands together, sticking each pointing finger up as suddenly, her eyes shot open, only now they were purple as Hitmonchan yelped, falling off of her chair and on her back.

Gallade gasped, "You okay, honey!?" helping her up before turning to Gardevoir and thinking, 'I really hope this will work.'

And Aipom would certainly need it to as she had lost her advantage, Smeargle binding her while Vespiquen sent a barrage of punches into her face. Sure, they could have switched and had the beagle pierce Aipom instead, but after all the wounds she had sustained earlier, that could potentially kill her, and doing that would have the duo disqualified thus their victory would not count as one.

After a while, the bee nodded and said, "I think it's time to finish her for good. But to be ironic, let's do it with move number one, only use the updated version."

"Oui!" Smeargle replied, knowing Aipom lacked the strength to counter this move like Lucario and Talonflame had done in the past.

With that in mind, Smeargle flipped Aipom upside-down and leapt high above the ring. He then took hold of her legs, wrapping his legs around her arms. Aipom used this moment to ball her tail up into a fist, ramming it repeatedly into the beagle's back but to no avail.

She then let down a light tear, thinking, 'Sorry, Machoke. I hope I was good enough,' her eyes widening when she noticed what looked like Gardevoir standing right next to Machoke, only her body was bright and almost transparent. It was just like when Machoke almost lost to Ninetales.

And much like before, no one else in the crowd could see Gardevoir's spirit there as she looked down at Machoke with concern, asking, "Are you okay, Machoke?" the boy hearing her voice and slowly opening his eyes, much to everyone's shock.

His eyes sparkled as he asked, "When did you get here?" the girl giving him a sweet smile and replying, "I'm not really here right now, but I figured I'd help you to the best of my abilities."

Beedrill blinked and uttered, "What's Machoke looking at?" Nori shrugging and replying, "This happened in the Olympic semi-finals too, and it made about as much sense back then."

With that, Gardevoir turned and said, "I'd love to stay and talk some more, but right now, Aipom needs your help," Machoke turning his gaze as Vespiquen failed to notice he had regained consciousness, the boy's eyes wide as Smeargle started to descend toward the mat.

With that, he bowed his head toward Gardevoir's spirit and sprang to his feet, the crowd going wild as Nori exclaimed, "And Machoke makes a shocking recovery!" Vespiquen's eyes wide with terror as she turned just in time for Machoke to leap toward her with his arm out, striking her hard in the neck and knocking her on her back.

Reika let down light tears as Smeargle paid the boy no mind, shouting, "MUSCLE TOMBSTONE MACH TWO!" but just as he was about send Aipom into the canvas, Machoke leapt up and sent a roundhouse into his side.

"YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Blaziken exclaimed as Smeargle released his hold on Aipom, flying sideways into the turnbuckle while Machoke took hold of the monkey's tail, asking, "Ready for another team move?"

Aipom smiled wide, light tears rolling down her cheeks as she nodded, Machoke tossing her slightly above his head as she opened up her tail hand, pointing it toward the boy's back. Machoke then proceeded to send both of his feet hard into the downed Vespiquen's gut, shouting, "ANVIL KICK!"

As if that was not enough, Aipom landed atop Machoke's head with her tail hand pushing down, adding even more pressure to the bee as she cried out in pain. Smeargle growled and charged toward the two, ready for vengeance when Aipom took hold of Machoke's right hand, swinging him around as he held his left arm out, the two shouting, "MONKEY-GO-ROUND!" the boy's arm striking the beagle hard in the cheek when he was close enough.

The crowd cheered even louder as Smeargle flew sideways, a bit of blood escaping from his mouth as he fell on his side, tumbling along the mat before ramming back-first into the turnbuckle. Needless to say, this was a huge comeback as even Nori and Beedrill were cheering despite the fact that they were supposed to be neutral.

Gardevoir gave Machoke a sweet smile and blew him a kiss, her spirit vanishing as the boy nodded with a warm smile of his own, thinking, 'Thank you, Gardevoir. You may not realize it, but you helped more than you could ever imagine.'

"This is truly incredible!" Beedrill exclaimed as Nori nodded and said, "Both of those moves were so simple yet they packed an incredible punch!"

Vespiquen slowly recovered, growling, "Yes, that is a good point. How can such basic moves be so powerful?" Smeargle rubbing his cheek and rising to his feet, Machoke saying, "It's because of the speed and strength added by Aipom and I working together. Aipom's body may not be that strong, but her tail certainly is. When the force of her tail is combined with my strength, it results in a force more powerful than you could imagine."

Aipom blushed lightly and uttered, "I didn't think I could add that much force, but yeah," Vespiquen narrowing her eyelids and saying, "I see then. I suppose we'll have to kick things up a notch."

However, Smeargle was much more distracted by something else. Due to his bond with Gardevoir, he had briefly seen her spirit before it vanished. He knew that she had helped Machoke rise to his feet, and despite him supposedly having stopped caring about his friendship with her, this seemed to anger him greatly.

As much as he wanted to beat Machoke, a big part of him also wanted to kill the boy. In fact, he was currently devising a plan that after sending him to the hospital, he would pay him a visit and murder him right there. At the very least, he could not kill Machoke here without being disqualified, not to mention Vespiquen would not approve, but if he did it after the match without being caught, it would be the perfect revenge.

"I don't like the way he's looking at me," Machoke uttered with a look of fear, Aipom nodding and saying, "Something tells me there's more on his mind than winning this match now."

"Oui," Smeargle replied as Vespiquen implied a smile, saying, "Yes, he and I have been more serious about this match than any other. See, when we found out you were in this tournament, Machoke, you were our biggest target," the beagle turning to her and saying, "Actually, I have another reason, and it's that Machoke sickens moi!"

Everyone stared in stunned silence, Machoke groaning, "Oh, great, another opponent with a personal vendetta against me!" Smeargle retorting, "This is not petty hatred like the others! Non, you have always sickened moi ever since the day I met you! The way you were the one who made Gardevoir stronger than moi, the way you became her boyfriend! She was the only one I could truly relate to, a loser like moi, but you ruined everything!"

"What!?" Machoke spat as no one knew what to think of this, Aipom uttering, "Wait, are you jealous?"

Smeargle said nothing more as Gardevoir gasped upon hearing this in the hospital, Gallade uttering, "Wait, what? Is that what this is about?"

Gardevoir put on a more serious look and grunted, "That does it. I need to be there," the girl trying to rise only to feel pain in the rest of her body, wincing as Gallade exclaimed, "Sis, don't put pressure on yourself! You're still recovering!"

"But-" Gardevoir remarked as Hitmonchan nodded and replied, "Yeah, we'll gladly help you out," turning around and signalling Gallade to place Gardevoir on her back, the boy nodding and gently helping her up, a light smile forming on the girl's face as light tears rolled down her cheeks.

After all, Florges had failed to bring Smeargle to his senses while Machoke and Aipom had trouble doing so. If anyone could talk some sense into him, it was Gardevoir.

Back at the Tokyo Dome, Smeargle still had a look of fury as he said, "You've been a pain on our side so far, Monsieur Machoke, but mark my words! You will pay for taking my meilleur ami away!" Vespiquen noticing his green aura appear once again, nodding her head and thinking, 'This is good. His envy is giving him even more strength.'

Aipom bit her lower lip and looked up at Machoke with concern, the boy looking more terrified than before. Could he and Aipom possibly keep up their advantage when Smeargle had become this powerful?


	30. Chapter 30

While the Student Teacher Combo had made an impressive comeback, Smeargle looked more ferocious than ever before while Vespiquen was still able to continue fighting. And to make matters worse, Smeargle now had a grudge against Machoke, and those with a motive to target him over all other heroes were often the scariest opponents for him.

Before the boy could regain focus on the match, Smeargle charged at him as Aipom screeched, "Look alive, Machoke!" the boy nodding and dodging an incoming strike only for Smeargle to perform a handstand, swinging his tails around and shouting, "PAINTER'S FLAIL!"

Blaziken winced as Machoke took in a strike from each tail to the cheek, the boy flying into the turnbuckle while the crowd gasped. After hearing his whole reason for wanting to defeat Machoke, even his fans were not sure whether to support him or not. His entire motive struck them as nothing more than petty jealousy.

Aipom tried to help out only for Vespiquen to unleash her bees, the fake bugs flying around the monkey until she was bound by the strings. The monkey gritted her teeth, trying to fight it like Machoke had, but as had been mentioned before, she lacked the muscle to do it.

"Word to the wise," Vespiquen stated, "Next time I knock you out, stay down!" before flipping herself a full three-hundred and sixty degrees, shouting, "ATTACK ORDER!" Aipom's face soon making contact with the canvas.

Seeing this, Machoke's eyes widened as he charged at the monkey only for Smeargle to fly at him, shouting, "VESPIQUEN TOLD ME TO DEFEAT YOU WITH YOUR ABILITIES, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE MORE HUMILIATING TO HAVE YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S POWERS FINISH YOU OFF! AND I'M GONNA START WITH MOON HOOK!"

Machoke had no time to respond as Smeargle rammed his arm into his neck, knocking him hard on his back, Nori exclaiming, "And Smeargle strikes Machoke with Gardevoir's first official finishing move! I wonder if he plans to use them in order!"

Vespiquen slammed Aipom's back hard into the mat while her strings were still bound the monkey, turning to look at her pupil as she thought, 'I figured using those moves wouldn't help him too much, but it seems like this might actually work.'

Strangely enough, Smeargle's green aura seemed to get bigger as he lifted up Machoke by the head, leaping high above the ring as Blaziken spat, "COME ON, MACHOKE, DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU AND AIPOM CAME UP WITH COUNTERS FOR THESE!?" and yet currently, the boy was still shaken up from the Moon Hook and thus was unable to respond as Smeargle applied enough force to lower Machoke's head so it was facing the mat.

The beagle then allowed his upper body to float above his head as he barked, "METEOR BOMB!" slamming Machoke's head hard against the canvas, the crowd once again mortified. And like before, even Smeargle's own fanbase was uncertain whether they should cheer or not.

Seeing this, Aipom gritted her teeth and squeaked, "NO! I GOTTA HELP MY STUDENT!" only for Vespiquen to spin her body around, shouting, "ATTACK ORDER CAROUSEL!" sending the monkey flying head-first into the turnbuckle, her skull bleeding as she coughed up blood.

"Just when it seemed Machoke and Aipom could do it, it looks like this could very well be Machoke's second loss," Nori stated as Beedrill really hoped for another miracle from the boy. Sure, he did not realize Vespiquen was a villain, but even so, he wanted to see Machoke at least make it to the finals again.

Hoopa, meanwhile, grinned and said, "Oh man, this is too good! Smeargle just keeps getting better and better!" Diancie nodding and saying, "Good thing we won't have to face him if he makes it to the finals," the genie nodding and replying, "That's right. Once Vespiquen wins, she's going to forfeit the championship to us. That was our agreement."

With that, Smeargle took hold of Machoke's hands and said, "Now to finish you with Gardevoir's strongest technique. The fact that I'm using moves that I borrowed from her will surely make your relationship with her awkward thus making you not want it at all!"

Suddenly, Machoke ignored all the pain dealt to him as he blinked, retorting, "What!?" Smeargle leaping high above the ring once more as the crowd stared in horror. But just as the beagle was ready to start spinning, Machoke gritted his teeth and lifted up his legs, kicking him in the midsection thus causing him to release his hold.

"Those may be Gardevoir's moves, but Gardevoir is not the one using them!" he exclaimed before spinning the beagle around and locking his arms and legs in place, the crowd going wild as Nori exclaimed, "And it seems that Machoke has set up Smeargle for the very move he succumbed to earlier!"

Machoke spun as he added, "Besides, in case you've forgotten, I used Moon Hook on Lucario in the Olympic finals! You're not the only one who's replicated it, only unlike you, I learned it naturally!"

With that the two descended toward the mat, Vespiquen's eyes wide with shock as she thought, 'No!' Machoke grunting, "And what is wrong with you, anyway!? Are you saying that Gardevoir becoming a true hero is a bad thing!? That her finding other friends and love are all bad things!? Would you have preferred it if she spent her whole life timid and weak!? Is that the sort of future you would wish upon your best friend!?"

As Smeargle was about to use his tails to free himself, his eyes and mouth widened as the boy's words had actually started to sink in. Deep down, the beagle knew Machoke was right and thus allowed his head to be slammed hard against the canvas, coughing up blood as Machoke exclaimed, "MUSCLE TORNADO!" before he released his hold and allowed him to collapse.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And with that, Machoke seems to have beaten Smeargle! But, was that really enough to keep him down?"

Vespiquen could see this was not enough as Smeargle continued to breathe with his eyes open. However, it seemed as if he was unwilling to get up, like he was waiting for his partner to be knocked out so Nori could start the ten count.

And with Machoke and Vespiquen being the only ones currently standing, it seemed like that could happen as the bee frowned and snapped, "What are you doing, Smeargle!?"

The crowd looked confused as one member asked, "Does she not realize he's unconscious?" another exclaiming, "Hey, show some respect! It's not his fault that blow to the head knocked him out!"

Reika nodded as Blaziken frowned, saying, "I don't think he's unconscious," the others staring as Vespiquen confirmed this by saying, "You may think I'm being too hard on him, but look at his eyes!"

With that, many looked closer as Beedrill nodded, saying, "Going by his breathing and the position of his eyes, I think it's safe to say he's still able to move, so why isn't he?" Machoke now curious himself.

"It's because Monsieur Machoke is correct," Smeargle stated as the crowd gasped, some of them actually having trouble believing he really was conscious until he spoke, "Vespiquen, I can't thank you enough for showing me my true potential, but he's right. I've been a jealous fool throughout this whole tournament. I turned on both Gardevoir and Florges just because I envied them. I do not deserve to make it to the finals, let alone win this tournament."

Vespiquen's eye twitched as the beagle added, "If you manage to defeat Machoke, well, I will congratulate you on your win, but like he has done in every round so far, you will have to find a new comrade because once this is over, I will resign from the tournament and beg mes amis for forgiveness."

Light tears rolled down his cheeks after he said this, the rest of the audience tearing up as Beedrill sniffed, "That was beautiful," Reika sighing, "Good old Machoke. I knew he would do it."

Hoopa surprisingly did not look too distraught by this as Diancie asked, "Why aren't you upset?" the genie replying, "Hey, if Vespiquen loses, I get my match with Machoke and that would be awesome," the sylph resisting the urge to face-palm.

However, it seemed Vespiquen had not yet given up hope as she scowled and said, "You disgust me, Smeargle," the beagle blinking as the crowd could not believe what they had just heard, the bee adding, "You're letting mere words get the better of you? You have proven yourself far better than the world could have ever believed, and you're going to give that all up just because of some stupid speech that your opponent made up on the spot?"

Smeargle blinked as she gazed down into his eyes, adding, "Besides, do you honestly believe that Florges and Gardevoir will want to be your friends after what you did to them? Of course not, and not because you deserve it but because deep down, they're most likely jealous that you're better than they could ever hope to be! You think they're your friends, but they're not! It's as I told you before! They both looked down upon you! They never had confidence in your abilities!"

"Don't listen to her!" Machoke retorted as Vespiquen ignored him and added, "If Florges really wanted you as her partner, she wouldn't have chosen a replacement so quickly and so casually! And if Gardevoir was such a good friend, she wouldn't have held back when she fought you during your match!"

Machoke gritted his teeth, really hoping that Smeargle would not listen and yet much like before, the sincerity that Vespiquen showed in her eyes convinced the beagle that she was right. As such, he slowly rose back to his feet, grunting, "Oui. And she also wouldn't have sent her spirit here to help Machoke when he was knocked out. She should have been okay with me winning this match, but she clearly wasn't!"

Machoke was now terrified as he backed up, uttering, "Smeargle, listen to yourself! From what Gardevoir has told me, this isn't the real you!" the beagle retorting, "Well, she is right about one thing! This was not the real moi before, but you know what!? The old moi was nothing more than a pushover! I'd much rather be as I am now than that punching bag nice guy I used to be! Or have you not heard that nice guys always finish last!?"

Aipom's eyes had opened while he said this, though she currently did not have the strength to move. Even so, what happened next was a truly shocking sight.

Smeargle's aura suddenly doubled in size as he let out a loud roar, his canine teeth growing in size as his muscles expanded a tiny bit more. Now his fans had officially lost all respect for him as he charged at Machoke, shouting, "IF THE MOVES OF OTHERS WON'T FINISH YOU OFF, I'LL USE A LITTLE SOMETHING OF MY OWN!"

Vespiquen implied a wicked smirk as Machoke tried to dodge to the right. Unfortunately, Smeargle managed to wrap his arms around him, stretching out his tails even more than he was able to before and wrapping them around the boy as well. And before anyone could figure out what was going on, the beagle leapt into the air, leaning backward and shouting, "TAIL BIND SUPLEX!" planting the back of Machoke's head hard against the mat as he coughed up blood.

The crowd winced as Reika shouted, "MACHOKE!" Aipom trying desperately to rise to her feet as she thought, 'I have to help him! I can't let this continue!'

As it just so happened, the suplex had not quite been enough to defeat Machoke as Smeargle turned to Vespiquen, saying, "He's still breathing. What say we finish this with the Asteroid Harpoon?" the bee nodding and replying, "Yes. That sounds like the best way to end this."

With that, Vespiquen took to the sky and lashed out her big orange stinger as Smeargle leapt up to her level, took hold of her shoulders and applied pressure, the two shouting, "ASTEROID HARPOON!"

But just as it was about to land, the crowd was shocked when Machoke was pulled out of the way by a certain hand, Vespiquen's eyes widening as her stinger wound up stuck in the mat. She tried to retract it, but the material prevented her from doing so as she grumbled curses under her breath, shifting back and forth.

Smeargle stared in absolute shock, leaping off of the bee's shoulders as Machoke groaned, rubbing his head and sitting upright. However, his look of pain soon turned to one of pure joy, the rest of the crowd cheering as Aipom stood before him with a big smile on her face, saying, "Good thing I wasn't too late."

Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "YOU'RE THE BEST TRAINER EVER!" picking her up for a hug as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, the boy's eyes about to pop out of their sockets.

Nori let down light tears and exclaimed, "This match is just one surprising event after another! Every time it looks like the Student Teacher Combo is going to lose, they get back up and give it another go!"

However, the moment came to a close as Vespiquen fumed, Smeargle prying her out of the mat as she growled, "I don't know if you're aware of this, but you haven't won!" before pointing at Aipom and adding, "And why can't you stay down!? You are such a pain in the ass!"

Machoke smirked and said, "You've never dealt with me and my friends before. We can handle this kind of thing."

Smeargle growled as Aipom said, "Machoke, I'll take care of Vespiquen while you deal with Smeargle. I may not have been completely awake, but I overheard the conversation earlier. You almost got through to him."

Machoke nodded and replied, "Yeah. I'm sure if I knock him out for good, that'll help him see the light."

Vespiquen would not allow this as she flew toward Aipom, wanting more than ever to keep the monkey down for good. After all, she had recovered far more than she should have and it had gotten on the bee's last nerve.

With that in mind, she unleashed her small bees and exclaimed, "There's no way I'm releasing you from my strings this time!" as Aipom's eyes widened. She finally saw it, a way to avoid the string.

With that in mind, she placed her tail hand against the mat, lifting herself up with it, almost as if her tail was a stool. And once the bees started to circle around her, she lowered herself before shouting, "MONKEY POGO STICK!" leaping just high enough to avoid being bound, the bees flying all around one-another thus resulting the strings tangling while Aipom landed right behind them.

Vespiquen's eyes widened as she shook her head, trying desperately to retract the bees. However, the knot was far too tight as Aipom said, "I knew it. Without a target, your strings only have themselves to bind."

Before the bee could even retort to that lame speech, Aipom formed a fist with her tail hand and sent it hard into the smaller bees, sending them flying into their owner's face. She then leapt toward Vespiquen, grabbing hold of her head with the same hand and leaping into the air, the crowd shocked that the monkey was able to lift someone twice as tall as her that high above the mat.

With that, the monkey started to spin vertically, pulling Vespiquen with her and shouting, "MACHOKE, NOW!" the boy nodding as Smeargle attempted to strike him only for the boy to take hold of the beagle's arms, turning him around and allowing himself to fall on his back. He then latched his ankles against Smeargle's, holding him in a bridge formation as the crowd cheered wildly.

With that, Aipom and Machoke grinned and exclaimed, "BRIDGE BOMBER!" Aipom sending Vespiquen's back hard into Smeargle's belly, only her body was faced sideways, thus when her back hit that very spot, it wound up bending as she coughed up green blood, her eyes wide open as she could not even muster up the strength to cry out in pain.

The crowd went silent as Smeargle took in pain from this as well, coughing up blood of his own as Machoke released his hold on his ankles, kicking him in the back and sending him flying away from him, the beagle's chin hitting the mat hard. With that, the crowd went wild as Machoke rose his arms in the air, Reika and Cici applauding him as Blaziken rose her fist in the air.

"And with yet another impressive team move, the Student Teacher Combo seems to have knocked out the Elegant Warriors!" Nori exclaimed as Beedrill nodded, the woman starting the ten count.

The crowd watched in anticipation as Hitmonchan, Gallade and Gardevoir had arrived at this exact moment. A light smile formed on Gardevoir's face as she saw the results of what had happened while the three were headed to the Tokyo Dome. At the very least, it seemed that Machoke did not need further support from her.

And this was made very clear as Nori reached the number ten, ringing the bell and exclaimed, "And after a long and very close match, the Student Teacher Combo has won this round!" the crowd going wild as Machoke and Aipom grinned at one-another, Gardevoir letting out a loud cheer as the boy turned, shocked to see her there. Though the fact that Hitmonchan was currently carrying her told him that she had not quite made a full recovery yet.

Suddenly, all went silent when Aipom slowly lowered her eyelids, uttering, "That was awesome. I'll just take a little rest now," the monkey falling over onto her side with her eyes closed, Machoke sighing with a light smile. After all, Aipom had been through a lot, so it only stood to reason that she would not be able to move, let alone fight for a while.

Reika's eyes widened as Keiko sighed, "It's okay. Aipom will be fine," Cici nodding with a light smile as Heracross scratched the back of his head, saying, "I dinnae about you guys, but I'm more surprised to see Gardevoir here right now."

The boy then smiled and said, "Thanks, Gardevoir. You really helped me out of a tough spot," the girl nodding as Machoke just wanted to exit the ring right now and give his girlfriend as big kiss.

But just as he was about to do so, the crowd gasped when they saw Smeargle slowly push himself up, breathing heavily as the green aura continued to surround him. Beedrill gulped and immediately got up, flying into the ring and landing in front of the beagle.

"Okay, take it easy there!" the wasp exclaimed, "The match is already over! You l-" only for Smeargle to shove him out of the way and stomp toward Machoke, growling, "I cannot accept this! I will not accept this!"

The crowd was truly terrified as Machoke trembled, backing up and waving his hands in front of his face, uttering, "Hey, man, he's right! How are you even standing right now!?" Smeargle growling, "This match is over when I say it's over! Now that Gardevoir is here, I'm going to murder you right in front of her face!"

But just as he had his tails at the ready, Gardevoir suddenly lowered herself off of Hitmonchan's back, surprisingly able to move her legs without feeling any pain despite the doctors saying she would need at least one ore day to recover. She then made her way toward the ring, squeaking, "STOP IT, SMEARGLE! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

"Quoi?" Smeargle remarked, turning to her, Machoke also in shock as he uttered, "Should you be moving on your own right now?"

Gardevoir climbed up into the ring with a serious look in her eyes, replying, "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine, but thanks for your concern," the girl marching over to Smeargle who growled and rose his tails threateningly toward her.

But just as it looked like he was about to attack, Gardevoir proceeded to lift up her arm, sending a hard slap into his cheek. The crowd was truly amazed as Smeargle's head was forced sideways, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. While the slap had not caused the aura to vanish, it had at the very least weakened it.

Tears then welled up in Gardevoir's eyes as she shocked everyone by wrapping her arms around Smeargle, holding him in a tight embrace. The beagle had no idea how to respond to this as she sniffed, "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel inferior! I didn't become a hero to make you jealous! I did it because I wanted to protect people, to help my allies! If I knew you were jealous of me, I would have helped you find your true potential!"

"You would have?" Smeargle uttered as she nodded with a big smile, adding, "I'm glad you've become strong, but I don't want you using your new powers for revenge! You hurt Florges really badly, and that's not you! The real you would never do that!"

The aura started to weaken even more as the girl added, "You're right, Machoke is very dear to me, but so are you. The truth is, I consider everyone of my friends to be my best friend, and that includes you. Please don't stop being my friend because I don't want to stop being yours."

Smeargle looked deep into the girl's eyes as he could tell she was telling the truth. As such, the green aura vanished as he took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. He then patted her on the back, exclaiming, "Je suis desole! I really was a fool!"

Soon enough, the entire crowd teared up, Reika's eyes sparkling as she sniffed, "Oh my god, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" Keiko nodding and thinking, 'Machamp's matches often ended with new friendships forming, but it was never this touching.'

Beedrill watched this and folded his arms, breathing a sigh of relief and sighing, "Thank god. I was worried I'd actually have to drag him out of the ring."

Machoke smiled warmly as medics rushed into the ring to take Vespiquen to the hospital. However, what surprised the boy was Aipom being loaded up as well as he uttered, "Excuse me, sir, but I think all she needs is a little rest."

"Oui," Smeargle replied with a nod, "She was still standing when the match ended," the medic shaking his head and replying, "I'm sorry, but she expelled too much energy. I'm not really an expert, but if I had to guess, I'd say she's gonna be out like a light for at least more than a day."

"Wait, what?" Machoke uttered as he watched her being taken out of the area along with Vespiquen. He would have gone to the hospital with her, but he knew he had to see the next match to know what he was getting himself into. All he could do right now was hope that the monkey would be okay in time for the finals.

With that, Gardevoir patted him on the shoulder as he gave her a warm smile. Since Hoopa and Diancie had not been exposed, Machoke honestly believed at this point that the biggest threat had been taken care of. Although there was a chance he would once again have to find himself a new partner. Why he was the only one who had to deal with that so far was anyone's guess.

Even so, with the match over, Beedrill stated, "Well, folks, that was certainly a great way to open up the semi-finals! So much suspense, drama and rekindled friendship, but don't forget, there's still one more match! Though before that, we will have a two hour break, but don't lose track of the time otherwise you may just miss the final match of the day!"

With that in mind, Heracross and Lopunny pounded their fists together before walking off to train. They intended to use the first hour specifically for that purpose. After all, they knew how strong their opponents were and there was no way they would let Talonflame and Scyther down.


	31. Chapter 31

With two hours before the match between the Bouncing Biceps and the Demonic Angels, it only stood to reason that Machoke may as well use this time to catch up with Blaziken and Gardevoir, what with them finally having recovered. And since the boy felt like most of the pressure had been taken off of him, he was finally able to fully enjoy himself without the fear of facing an opponent he absolutely had to beat no matter what.

As such, he and the others were enjoying lunch as Gallade said, "It's still amazing that you can walk so well right now, sis. You weren't supposed to be up and running for another day," Machoke glaring at the boy and retorting, "Are you saying this is a bad thing?"

Gallade laughed nervously, a sweat drop forming on the side of his head until he and Machoke laughed louder, Hitmonchan smiling at Gardevoir and saying, "Still, that was really cool what you did back there. Smeargle was gonna kill Machoke and yet you stood up to him and calmed him down."

"Yeah, Gardevoir's the best," Machoke said, resting a hand on her shoulder and kissing her on the cheek, the girl's cheeks flushed pink as Reika looked around, asking, "Say, why isn't Smeargle joining us anyway? He actually has the strength to do it."

Gardevoir nodded and replied, "He said he wanted to visit Florges in the hospital. He feels really bad after injuring her like that," Machoke nodding and sighing, "And thank god. Maybe when he's done, I can get to know the real him."

Cici nodded and replied, "Yeah. I couldn't help but get the feeling he was only acting that way because of Vespiquen," Gardevoir sighing, "Well, he did admit that he wasn't lying when he said he always envied me," a light smile on her face, "I can't help but find it funny, now. Back in the day, I always envied Gallade, but now I have someone who envies me."

"Not to mention you're a much better fighter than your brother, now," Machoke replied as Gallade let out a sigh, Hitmonchan and Gardevoir both patting him reassuringly on his shoulders.

Reika then put on a more serious look and stated, "Still, Machoke, I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you. You may end up facing the Demonic Angels in the final round. As you've seen, they can't be taken lightly," Machoke groaning, "Oh yeah. I almost forgot how strong they were."

Even so, one other thing bothered him as he uttered, "Oh yeah, I might need someone to replace Aipom. Seriously, I've gotta be the only one in the universe whose had to get a new partner for every single round!"

"What about Hawlucha?" Gardevoir asked, "He's out of the hospital now," Machoke sighing, "Yeah, but since he wasn't in the tournament for the last couple of rounds, his agent is treating that like him quitting, so he's scheduled to do a bunch of commercials. Though on the upside, our victory in the first round has earned him extreme recognition."

Blaziken grinned and stated, "Well, there is always me. After all, your daddy and my mom teamed up for the first tag team tournament," Machoke nodding as a wide smile formed, the boy exclaiming, "That could actually work!"

He then got up along with Blaziken, the two pounding their fists and clasping their hands together, Blaziken exclaiming, "Their old team name was The Raging Bulls! That is pretty badass, but I'm sure we can do better!"

Machoke nodded and added, "Yeah, we'll think of something really cool, like the Blazing Muscles!" Blaziken shrugging and replying, "That's way too similar to your first two team names. I was thinking something more along the lines of the Rampaging Bison, you know, an upgrade of the original."

With that, both laughed as Machoke said, "We'll think of something, but first, let's work on some kickass team moves, eh!?" the chicken nodding and replying, "Hell yeah!" Gardevoir giving them a sweet smile. Right off the bat, this team-up seemed perfect, possibly better than the Fiery Beauties.

During this time, Smeargle sat next to Florges in the hospital and had done just as Gardevoir said he had set out to do. The flower girl was thankfully awake for this as the beagle sighed, "Could you ever forgive someone as foolish as moi?"

The flower girl gave him a sweet smile and replied, "Mais oui," before signalling him to come closer, Smeargle nodding and leaning forward, the two holding each-other in a light embrace.

However, Smeargle was rather surprised to receive a peck on the cheek, his cheeks flushed pink as he rubbed that very spot, Florges chuckling in response to his reaction. Sure, it was normal for the French to kiss there, but that was mostly done for greetings. Could Florges have meant something else by this?

Whatever the case, the flower girl let out a sigh and groaned, "Still, I feel so bad for Masquerain. She might never be able to fight evil again," Smeargle nodding and growling, "If I ever find the one responsible, I'll-" only for Florges to hold his hand, replying, "Maybe later. You've kicked enough butt for the time being. Besides, I have a feeling that Machoke already took care of the culprit."

Smeargle took a deep breath and grinned, replying, "Good old Machoke. I can see why Gardevoir likes him so much," Florges glad to see that the beagle was no longer jealous.

All the while, Lopunny and Heracross were hard at work, each one lifting heavier weights than usual. The rabbit used her ears while the the rhino beetle used his horn, both fully confident in their abilities. Sure, they had never quite been on the level of Scyther and Talonflame before, but they were determined to finish what they had started all the same.

Heracross tossed his weights behind him when their hour of training was up, the beetle taking a deep breath and asking, "You ready for this?" Lopunny twirling her weights around on the tip of her ears to show off how much stronger those parts had gotten, a big grin on her face as the beetle shrugged, seeing that as a 'yes'.

She then let out a sigh and set them down, uttering, "Still, I really hope we can do this. I mean, you and I both know that Scyther and Talonflame have always been better than us. Heck, it was Scyther who taught me how to fight. You remember how much of a loser I was back then, right?"

"That's why we gotta strive to surpass them!" Heracross replied with a grin, "Trust me, with your speed and my strength, we can do this!" the rabbit nodding and pounding her right ear against his fist.

Meanwhile, Hoopa and Diancie were resting up, Hoopa sighing, "Yep, once we take down those two, Machoke will be ours," Diancie nodding as she uttered, "So, why specifically do you want to beat Machoke?"

"I figured it would be obvious, but alright," Hoopa replied with a grin, "See, if I defeat Machoke in the finals, the world will know just how fearsome we can be. Seeing their beloved hero and saviour fall to our hands will earn us fear and respect, the likes of which no one's ever seen. We'll be more well-known than Giratina himself!"

Diancie nodded and smiled lightly, saying, "Well, you know that your happiness is all I care about," the genie nodding and saying, "That's why I like you so much," pinching her cheek as both those parts turned pink.

The genie then floated toward a concession stand, purchasing himself something to eat before his match, a grin on his face as he thought, 'And just think, when we take over, we'll be able to eat stuff like this all the time for free.'

He then noticed his opponents walk up to the stand, Heracross ordering himself a hot dog as he could not fight on an empty stomach, Lopunny ordering herself a salad. But while the two waited for their food to be prepared, they noticed Hoopa floating there and turned.

All three remained with the same looks on their faces until both meals were ready, Lopunny slowly pulling some money out of a change purse she had brought with her and placing it on the counter. Then she and Heracross took their food and made their way back to their table, not taking their eyes off of Hoopa until they were far enough away from him.

"They think they can beat me," Hoopa said with a smirk before chuckling and floating over to Diancie, the girl having brought herself a lunch from home as Hoopa sighed, "You know you don't have to make lunch when there are concession stands, right?"

"I can't help it," the sylph replied, taking a bite of an egg salad sandwich, "Not only does it save money but the ingredients I use are most likely healthier than what they use here," Hoopa rolling his eyes and saying, "Suit yourself," taking a big bite out of a burger.

Upon doing so, though, his eyes went wide as Diancie uttered, "You know, I wouldn't mind trying one of your fries, though. I'll give you one of my carrot sticks in exchange," holding one up as the genie smirked, saying, "Just to see you eat a fry, I'll take one of those sticks of yours."

With that, each one ate what the other had offered, Diancie smiling wide and sighing, "That's really good," Hoopa, meanwhile, trying his hardest not to gag from eating the carrot stick, thinking, 'Women love this stuff? Good lord, this is the worst thing I've ever tasted!'

During this time, Heracross and Lopunny spotted Machoke and his friends, the two waving at them as Machoke beamed bright, waving back. With that, the beetle and rabbit walked over and took a seat, the others giving them a nice hello.

"Machoke, you were awesome as always!" Lopunny squealed as the boy sighed, "Well, I really couldn't have won that match without Aipom."

"Speaking of which-" Heracross uttered as Blaziken cut in, saying, "Don't worry, Machoke and I have decided to rekindle that teamwork our folks had back in the day."

Lopunny and Heracross stared wide-eyed as Gardevoir nodded and squealed, "They're gonna team up in the next round!" Heracross whistling and saying, "Man, just facing Machoke was one thing, but going up against him and Blaziken? I'm starting to get nervous now."

Machoke blinked, unsure of how sincere the beetle was with that statement as Lopunny sighed, "Honestly, I don't care which one of us wins or loses the final match. I'm just glad I get a chance to face you under fair circumstances, Machoke."

The boy nodded as Reika said, "Oh yeah, I remember your match and how the only reason Lopunny almost won was because of outside interference. Honestly, I'm amazed people happily enter that park after witnessing such a thing."

"I wouldn't worry too much about the rabbits," Lopunny replied with a light chuckle, "I assured them you're a good guy, Machoke," the boy laughing nervously and uttering, "Well, that'll be good to know if I ever decide to go back there."

Gallade hated to be the one to rain on their parade right now, but he had to at least bring it up as he said, "Don't forget, if you're gonna face Machoke in the finals, you have to beat the Demonic Angels," Lopunny nodding and replying, "Don't you worry about a thing. We're gonna wipe the floor with them."

"Damn straight!" Heracross exclaimed with a grin, "After all the training we've done, we'll put up an even better fight than Talonflame did! They won't know what hit them!"

The group then laughed before continuing their conversation, the group now focused on more simple subjects. After all, with less than an hour to spare, it was nice to think about something other than the tournament for at least a little while.

And soon enough, the hour was up as the bleachers were filled. While Machoke's match may have been arguably the most exciting one so far, people still looked forward to seeing just how Heracross and Lopunny planned to avenge their comrades. After all, Scyther had made it farther than Lopunny in the Olympics and Heracross did not even make it to the fighting portion.

Once the audience seemed at ease, Beedrill stated, "I hope you all enjoyed your two-hour break, but now it's time for Machoke's opponents for the finals to be decided. And in other news, I have just received a message stating that he and Blaziken will be teaming up for that match."

The crowd went wild as Blaziken grinned, cupping her hands together over her head and waving them, Nori stating, "As has been said many times, both Machamp and Combusken were also teammates for the last two rounds of the first ever tag team tournament for heroes."

"Last two rounds?" Machoke uttered as Reika blinked and asked, "You mean he, too, had to switch partners?"

"Oh yes, Dad told me all about that," Beedrill explained, "Machamp's ally in the first round was Xatu, the wise master who taught him how to fight to the best of his abilities and no longer rely on luck to win most of his matches. We actually have a recording of their victory."

With that, the crowd turned to a big TV where Machamp and Xatu had set up a purple gremlin-like ghost named Gengar and what looked like a grey hybrid of a bat and a scorpion named Gliscor for the Muscle Coffin, both knocked out cold by this move. But while Machamp looked beyond happy and energetic after his victory, Xatu seemed a tad out of it. He still had a smile on his face, but it looked forced.

The reason was made clear when Beedrill stated, "Unfortunately, Xatu passed away shortly after the match due to heart failure," Machoke wincing and groaning, "Oh god! How old was he!?" Cici replying, "He was eighty."

The others stared at the blue-haired girl as Reika gasped, replying, "Oh, right, you did that famous heroes report on Xatu last month, didn't you?" her friend nodding.

Now Machoke felt like Xatu should not have fought in that match at all while Beedrill stated, "But in the end, Combusken, who had lost in the first round when fighting alongside Sudowoodo, joined him for the rest of the tournament. At first, she did it as a dying wish from Xatu, but after the two won the semi-finals, she realized that not joining Machamp from the get-go was a mistake."

Blaziken blinked and uttered, "That's not too far off from us, is it?" Machoke asking, "Why didn't Dad ever tell me about this?"

Even so, Beedrill had delayed the start of the match long enough as he said, "Either way, seeing their offspring teaming up for the finals is certainly something to look forward to, but let's not forget the match taking place in this very ring!"

Nori nodded and pointed at the Western entrance, exclaiming, "In the red corner, these two have combined their individual strength and speed to create a powerful team! Having defeated the Boxing Brawlers and the Vanishing Muscles with ease, give a round of applause for the Bouncing Biceps!"

The crowd went wild as Heracross and Lopunny decided to go for a Scottish theme this time seeing as they went with an Egyptian one last time. An authentic melody played in the background while Heracross and Lopunny both dressed in traditional highland outfits, both performing a Scottish dance while making their way toward the ring.

While this was odd, the crowd seemed to love it as Machoke whistled and exclaimed, "Looking good, Lopunny!" Gardevoir nodding and saying, "Yeah, she looks really good in a kilt."

With that, the two leapt high into the air before landing firmly against the ring, Lopunny grinning and saying, "This was a great idea," Heracross nodding and replying, "Thank ya, lass. I've been waiting for a chance to do this."

With that, the two removed their outfits and tossed them out of the side of the ring, Nori saying, "Well, that was certainly interesting."

She then pointed at the Eastern entrance, stating, "And in the blue corner, two fighters who have really proven themselves a force to be reckoned with. Not only did they defeat the Olympic champion, Lucario, but they even took down his former partner in crime, Talonflame. Maybe they'll meet their match today or perhaps the Bouncing Biceps should prepare for the same fate as their comrades! So, without further ado, the Demonic Angels!"

Many members of the crowd cheered as Hoopa and Diancie headed toward the ring, this time trying something more flashy than they usually did. Hoopa spun his hands around like one big baton over his head while Diancie had formed her waist gems, spinning like a ballerina. And once the two got close to the ring, they stopped their routine and leaned sideways, placing their hands together.

Machoke blinked and said, "That lacked so much imagination. I think they would have been better off sticking with the more simple approach," Gallade shrugging and replying, "Hey, it could very well have been their first time trying to be showy."

Whatever the case, the audience certainly seemed to love it as the two entered the ring, Hoopa grinning and saying, "I'm going to enjoy wiping the floor with you two," Lopunny frowning and asking, "May I take the first crack?"

Heracross nodded and replied, "Wipe that smug grin off his face," the rabbit nodding and pounding his fist.

With that, Hoopa once again decided to go first without a second thought. And just like the first two rounds, Diancie stood by the side of the ring, knowing he would not require her help until the tornado tag portion. Even the audience had come to accept that at this point.

Heracross grinned and said, "Hey, Lopunny, I got an idea," the rabbit blinking as he added, "As much as I want a crack at this guy, I think the best thing you could possibly do is take him out before the first five minutes are up."

"Really?" the rabbit asked as the beetle nodded and replied, "Surely you've noticed it too. Hoopa's so full of himself that he never lets Diancie fight during the normal tag portion. If we can deal enough damage to him before the tornado portion comes up, we'll win the match easily."

Lopunny smiled and nodded, fully intending on doing just that. And with all of her training, she was certain she could pull it off.

With that, Nori rang the bell as Lopunny wasted no time leaping toward Hoopa with her legs out. The genie could not even respond as both feet were planted into his gut, Hoopa falling on his back while the crowd cheered wildly.

The genie could not believe how much that hurt as Lopunny continued her descend, landing on top of him. She then proceeded to send a barrage of punches into his face with her ears, the crowd cheering even louder as Nori stated, "And already, the Bouncing Biceps are off to a good start with Lopunny just whaling on Hoopa!"

The genie gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the pain as he snapped his right fingers, his left hand forming behind the rabbit. However, Lopunny knew he would try this as she leapt over the incoming fist, once again landing on his belly and causing even more pain.

"Hoopa, are you okay!?" Diancie squeaked as the genie had now resorted to covering his face so the punches could not hit that spot anymore, the crowd truly ecstatic as Beedrill said, "And just as it looked like Hoopa would hit her with the counter that caught Lucario off-guard, Lopunny was more than ready for it."

"YEAH, KEEP IT UP!" Machoke exclaimed with a big grin as Gallade whistled, saying, "Wow, I knew she was tough, but damn," Hitmonchan nodding and uttering, "Yeah, Lopunny's cool."

However, there was no way Diancie would just allow this as she bit her lower lip, her necklace glowing as the crowd gasped, diamonds shooting out of it as she exclaimed, "DIAMOND STORM!"

Lopunny was truly unprepared for this as one diamond struck her in the face, more following as she took in an onslaught of hits, the crowd gasping as Nori stated, "And once again, Diancie takes advantage of the ten second rule using yet another move we've never seen from her before!"

This provided just enough of a distraction for Hoopa to send both of his fists into the rabbit's midsection, causing her to fly off of him and land hard on her back, Hoopa's fans cheering as one exclaimed, "YEAH, SHOW THAT RABBIT WHO'S BOSS!"

Diancie ended her assault as she knew her time to use it was up, Heracross at a loss for words. He figured they would possibly resort to this, but the only move anyone knew of that Diancie could use outside of the ring was her Gem Growth, which, if she had used it, would have struck Hoopa's back as opposed to Lopunny. No one could have predicted this.

And things would only get worse as Hoopa took full advantage of Lopunny's position, punching her multiple times in the face, shouting, "LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!" Machoke barking, "Lopunny! Get up!" Heracross adding, "Yeah, lass! I know you can handle this!"

However, after taking in those diamonds to the face, she did not even have the strength to block the punches with her ears. What could she possibly do? The match had only gone for a minute and it already looked like her and Heracross' plan had been used against her.


	32. Chapter 32

Note: The team move that Lopunny and Heracross use is an homage to the move used by Ramenman and Buffaloman in the original Kinnikuman, Longhorn Train.

Lopunny was in a real predicament as Hoopa sent various rapid punches to her face, Nori saying, "Things started off heavily in Lopunny's favour, but after that incredible power Diancie displayed, she's now on the receiving end of her own tactic."

Heracross growled and thought, 'Dammit, we're not even close to five minutes!' Cici whimpering, "Do you think Lopunny will be okay?"

Gardevoir nodded and replied, "Yeah, she was the first one to ever defeat me while my power was activated. There's no way she'll lose this easily."

And it seemed so as after taking in a few more hits, Lopunny's eyes widened as her strength seemed to return. As such, the rabbit threw her ears in front of her face, blocking the incoming punches. She then placed her elbows firmly against the mat and lifted herself high enough to plant her feet hard into Hoopa's midsection.

Hoopa's eyes were wide open as he finally ended his onslaught, Lopunny now using her ears to propel herself up high, swinging her feet into his chin while the crowd cheered. This caused Hoopa to back up a bit as the rabbit finally rose to her feet, breathing heavily with a look of confidence on her face. After all, she knew full-well that Diancie could not use her Diamond Storm a second time or even Gem Growth without the Demonic Angels being penalized.

"Yeah, way to go, lass!" Heracross exclaimed as Machoke grinned, saying, "I knew she could do it," Blaziken folding her arms and nodding. And needless to say, the others were equally happy to see her escape from this.

"I'll admit, that certainly caught me off-guard, but I won't let you get the upper hand again!" Lopunny grunted as she sent one of her ears forward, shouting, "DIZZY PUNCH!"

Hoopa grabbed hold of the ear with a smirk, Lopunny about to take full advantage of the fact that he used both hands to block it. However, what she did not focus on was the genie swinging his head before releasing his ring, shouting, "DEMONIC RING!" as stone encased the object, Lopunny unable to respond as it hit her hard in the face, forcing her head back.

Hoopa's fans cheered while Reika groaned, "Dammit, she dropped her guard again," and it would only get worse as Hoopa took full advantage of this, lifting Lopunny high above his head and throwing his hands backward, planting her skull into the mat.

Many in the crowd were shocked as Nori stated, "And just as it seemed Lopunny would get the upper hand back, she once again finds her mighty Dizzy Punch turned against her. As a lot of us certainly remember, both Gardevoir and Machoke used this tactic against her during the Next Gen Battle, only it failed when Machoke used it. It would seem Hoopa's ring caused just enough of a distraction for this bunny to be unable to react."

Hoopa grinned wickedly as he refused to let Lopunny recover again, once again floating toward her with his fists at the ready. If anything, all those punches he dealt earlier were far more powerful than Lopunny's kicks combined.

However, the rabbit refused to let him get the drop on her as she gritted her teeth, barking, "NO!" planting the tips of her ears against the mat and pushing herself up, once again kicking the genie in the chin as he grunted, "Why didn't I see that coming!?"

Unlike last time, this provided enough force to knock Hoopa on his back while the crowd cheered, Lopunny planting her feet into his gut and shouting, "BUNNY BOUNCE!" leaping off of him and landing in front of Heracross.

"What are you doing, lass?" the beetle asked as the rabbit held up her hand, sighing, "He's seen through my tactics. If anyone can finish this guy off, it's you."

Heracross nodded with a grin and replied, "Alright, I'll do my best," the two tagging each-other as they switched places, the crowd now even more excited as Beedrill stated, "And now Heracross has entered the ring. Perhaps his superior strength will make it a lot more difficult for Hoopa to retaliate."

The genie rose back up as Heracross wasted no time flying toward him with his horn out, Diancie gasping, "Hoopa!"

But the genie was ready for this as he thought, 'Perfect. He may be stronger, but he's nowhere near as fast,' and thus Hoopa once again flung his ring forward, said object encased in stone once more. But as it was just about to hit Heracross, the beetle immediately stopped his flight and attempted to knock it to the side with his horn.

Unfortunately, the ring was moving too quickly and thus the horn missed as Heracross took the ring to his forehead, groaning in pain while Hoopa snapped his fingers thus teleporting both his left hand and horn beside the beetle. And with little time to react, Heracross wound up taking in both, his left side hurting from the first and his right having been pierced by the horn, a small trickle of green blood coming from him as the crowd gasped.

"And it would seem Heracross is having even worse luck as Hoopa has already managed to hit him without even moving from his current spot," Nori stated as Beedrill nodded, replying, "Thus is the advantage of having the ability to attack from a distance."

Diancie looked relieved while the rest of the crowd found this painful to watch, Machoke groaning, "Come on, Heracross! This is nothing! Where's that powerhouse who almost beat me?"

The rhino beetle gritted his teeth and grunted, "Aye, you're right," before placing a firm grip against the horn and prying it out, Hoopa blinking as more blood came from that very spot. The beetle then proceeded to hurl it toward its owner only for it to flip itself upright and reattach itself to the genie's head.

With that, Hoopa smirked and said, "You thought you could actually stab me with it, didn't you?" Heracross rushing toward him and shouting, "Whatever! I can still beat you anyway!"

With that, Hoopa panicked now as he dodged to the right. Luckily, Heracross saw this coming as he swung his horn in that very direction, smacking Hoopa's cheek hard with it. Just from that one hit alone, the genie coughed up blood and flew into the turnbuckle while the crowd went wild.

"And with only one hit, Heracross has more than made up for his disadvantage earlier," Nori stated as Diancie squeaked, "Are you okay, Hoopa!?"

The genie grunted, rubbing his cheek and uttering, "Yeah. It's just one hit," before recovering and smirking, adding, "Heck, it wasn't even that strong. I mean, I've heard so much about how much more powerful Heracross' horn is than the rest of his body, but that was nothing special."

The crowd was shocked to hear this, Machoke retorting, "Are you kidding me!? That horn is even stronger than Lucario's Force Palm!" Gardevoir nodding and replying, "I get the feeling Hoopa took in more damage than he's letting on."

"Yeah," Blaziken replied, "I just hope Heracross realizes that," Cici nodding and adding, "Don't forget, he tried the same thing on Lucario. Honestly, I'm surprised he'd try it again when it failed before."

Unfortunately, Heracross was a lot easier to fool than Lucario and as such, he gritted his teeth and spat, "MY HORN IS WEAK, IS IT!?" flying toward the genie with blind rage, "THIS NEXT ONE WILL KNOCK YOU OUT FOR GOOD!"

"WAIT, HERACROSS, THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS!" Lopunny exclaimed, but it was too late as Hoopa took full advantage of this, swerving to the right as Heracross' horn was rammed hard into the turnbuckle, all going silent as it came close to cutting the pole in half.

But since it had not gone all the way, the part was now lodged in there as Heracross groaned, "Oh no," trying to pry himself out while Hoopa picked up his ring and said, "As you know, I usually throw this, but I have a feeling mere punches won't inflict enough pain to you."

"Is he doing what I think he's doing?" Machoke uttered as Reika groaned, "Oh god, this is painful."

With that, spikes sprouted from the ring as Hoopa exclaimed, "DEMONIC RING BLADE!" the genie swinging it back and forth against Heracross' back, the beetle crying out in pain as not only did this deal damage, but thanks to the spikes, it opened up his exoskeleton just a little bit.

"HERACROSS, GET YOUR HORN OUT OF THERE!" Lopunny squeaked as the beetle retorted, "I'm trying my best, lassie! This isn't as easy as when my horn was stuck between the ropes!"

Machoke nodded and uttered, "Oh yeah, that was the first thing I managed to do to him when I fought him in the Next Gen Battle," Gardevoir and Blaziken both nodding. Neither had been able to see that match as back then, Gardevoir had been knocked out by Lopunny and Blaziken was fighting Talonflame at the same time.

Hoopa continued to slash at him, saying, "That shell of yours may be tough, but it's not as strong as it could be," Heracross gritting his teeth and shouting, "Screw it! I don't need to be out of this post to hit you!"

With that, the beetle lifted his legs up and sent them hard into Hoopa's gut, the crowd cheering. However, their cheers died when the genie ignored the pain and took hold of his legs, saying, "Wow, you're a dumbass."

He then proceeded to twist Heracross' legs as the beetle cried out in pain, the crowd wincing as Nori stated, "And just as it seemed the beetle could finally fight back, his own tactic has once again been used against him. Hoopa may not be as physically strong, but he is certainly cunning."

"Yeah," Beedrill replied, "Lopunny may have taken in a bad beating, but she was at least able to get out of both of her predicaments. Heracross, on the other hand, is practically a sitting duck at this point."

The beetle fumed and thought, 'No! I swore we would avenge Scyther and Talonflame's loss! There's no way I'm letting this cheater win!'

With that in mind, Heracross let out a loud battle cry, planting his hands firmly against the turnbuckle and pushing hard against it. Hoopa had a smug grin, figuring this was just a waste of time until the beetle managed to finally pry his horn out, leaning backward just far enough to plant it into the genie's skull.

The crowd went wild as Machoke spat, "YEAH, THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Hoopa releasing his hold on Heracross' legs and backing up, the beetle turning around and swinging his horn into the genie's cheek once again, sending him tumbling along the mat just a small ways away from the turnbuckle.

"And with only his horn, Heracross has more than made up for the damage dealt to him earlier!" Nori exclaimed as Reika breathed a sigh of relief. After all, at the very least, she wanted Hoopa to finally taste defeat.

However, just as it looked like the beetle could finally fulfil his plan of taking out Hoopa before the tornado tag portion, Nori rang the bell, thus signalling that five minutes had passed. Heracross groaned as Lopunny leapt into the ring, patting him on the shoulder and smiling, saying, "Awesome work back there."

"Aye, but that wasn't good enough," Heracross groaned as the rabbit sighed, "It's fine. We'll just take both of them down. I'm sure we can do it."

The beetle took a deep breath and nodded, a light smile on his face as Diancie joined Hoopa, asking, "Are you alright?"

The genie slowly rose up, rubbing his cheek and replying, "Yeah, I'll be fine," before thinking, 'Dammit, that Heracross is tough! I don't even think Talonflame is as strong as that horn of his!' a wicked grin forming as his mind added, 'Oh, that gives me a wonderful idea.'

However, before he could execute this, Heracross turned to Lopunny and said, "Hey, let's try that move we've been working on," the rabbit nodding as Diancie and Hoopa stared.

Lopunny wrapped her ears around Heracross' waist and lifted him up so his back rested atop her head. And with his horn pointed outward, the two were ready as Lopunny charged forward, both shouting, "RHINO MISSILE!"

Hoopa was unable to respond as Diancie dashed in front of him, taking in the strike to the gut herself while the crowd cheered. After all, Hoopa had taken in quite a bit of pain up to this moment, so it was her turn to take in some damage. And as she wanted to make the genie happy, she ignored the extreme pain dealt by the move and took hold of the horn.

The crowd gasped as Hoopa reached his hands around, grabbing onto the horn himself and saying, "Yeah, that's a good idea," Diancie blushing lightly. Sure, Hoopa had no arms, but if he did, they would be resting up against her right now.

"Wait, shouldn't she be in more pain than that?" Machoke uttered as Blaziken gritted her teeth, growling, "I get the feeling there's more to this than meets the eye."

And sure enough, both villains combined their strength to lift both Lopunny and Heracross up, spinning them around before flinging them toward the turnbuckle. Lopunny's back rammed into it as she cried out in pain, releasing her hold on Heracross who wound up flying over her head and out of the ring as a result. The fans of the Demonic Angels cheered but the others were concerned as it was just like Machoke said. Diancie should not have been able to ignore the pain to her gut to easily.

Nevertheless, with Heracross out of the ring, Nori started the twenty count. Though it ultimately seemed unnecessary as the beetle immediately rose to his feet and flew back into the ring, a look of irritation on his face as Lopunny tried her best to ignore the pain to her back.

"You alright, lass?" Heracross asked as the rabbit nodded and frowned, saying, "We need to end this. Every time we have them, they find some way to deal even more damage to us. We need to prove that we can be just as good as Talonflame and Scyther, if not better."

Hoopa, meanwhile, had a smirk on his face as he said, "I have to admit, Diancie, that was very ballsy of you to take the hit like that," Diancie nodding and trying her best to ignore the pain dealt by that horn.

It was just as Blaziken suspected. Much like Hoopa when he first took in the horn, she was putting up a front, though unlike the genie, she was trying to convince herself that the move had not been that effective.

Hoopa then looked at his opponents and said in a quiet tone, "By the way, Diancie, I have a plan. That horn of Heracross' is a real pain in the ass. It's easily the strongest weapon those two have against us. So I was thinking we should do something about that."

"But is that legal?" Diancie squeaked as Hoopa nodded and replied, "Of course it is. Look at some of the injuries fighters in this very tournament have gotten away with. Besides, in the Olympics last year, Lucario destroyed Metang's hands and dislocated Garchomp's arms. He even went so far as to shatter her spine, later doing the same thing to Machoke. I think it's safe to say the assume will let us get away with this."

"Hey, are you gonna stand around talking or fight us!?" Heracross exclaimed as Lopunny stood atop his shoulders, the beetle spreading out his wings and flying toward the duo.

Before the Demonic Angels could even respond, Lopunny leapt off of the beetle and spread her ears out, spinning horizontally while shouting, "BUNNY PROPELLER!" flying close enough to whip both opponents in the face with the tips.

The crowd cheered as Heracross came up behind both villains, planting a fist into each one's back thus adding to the pain. Then with both distracted, he proceeded to wrap his arms around Hoopa while Lopunny leapt behind Diancie, doing the same thing with her ears.

The two then leaned back, planting the backs of their opponents' necks into the canvas, Hoopa and Diancie gritting their teeth while trying their best not to let the pain get to them. However, it would certainly be difficult as after releasing their holds on the two, the Bouncing Biceps turned toward them and prepared to strike while they were down.

However, since Diancie had not taken in nearly as much pain as Hoopa had earlier, she had just enough strength to place her hands against the mat, uttering, "Gem Growth," a gem shooting up underneath each opponent and sending them high above the ring.

The crowd watched in stunned silence, Machoke and the others ashamed of themselves for not seeing this coming as the sylph recovered quickly, leaping up while encasing her hands in crystal. And once she reached their height, she lifted her arms, shouting, "DIAMOND MALLET!" sending each fist into a separate opponent's skull.

Both their heads came open as a result, blood flying from each as they fell toward the mat. Sure, Heracross could have saved himself with his wings, but he was feeling too weak at the moment to spread them out. Thus he and Lopunny fell hard on their backs as Diancie changed her legs into the big diamond that allowed her to float.

"And once again, just as quickly as the Bouncing Biceps get the advantage, it leaves them as Diancie catches them off-guard with that Gem Growth of hers!" Nori stated, Diancie positioning herself right above Heracross as Machoke spat, "HEY, HERACROSS, MOVE!"

"Dammit, get up!" Reika snapped, "I'm sure this is far from the worst you've ever dealt with!" the group then chanting his name.

Unfortunately, by the time Heracross managed to open his eyes, it seemed too late as Diancie descended toward him, shouting, "DIAMOND METEOR!"

Though what shocked the crowd was not so much Heracross taking in the strike but rather that Diancie had hit the tip of his horn as opposed to his belly like she had done to every other victim. Although it ultimately seemed to be in vain as while this did bend the horn back a bit, it did not even come close to having the results she had wanted as her eyes widened with shock.

Lopunny slowly opened her eyes at the same time as Hoopa, both staring at this as Hoopa thought, 'Well, at least she had the right idea,' Heracross smirking and grabbing hold of the diamond before the sylph could move.

She gasped and tried to free herself as the beetle slowly rose to his feet, now holding Diancie over his head as he said, "I see what you did there. You were trying to destroy my horn," the crowd even more shocked as Machoke uttered, "Wait, is she stupid or something? Heracross' horn can't possibly be destroyed."

Diancie bit her lower lip as Hoopa noticed the horn bent a bit, thinking, 'I wouldn't say that,' but both Heracross and Lopunny believed these words as the beetle said, "He's right, lass. You wasted a perfectly good opportunity to deal some serious damage back there."

With that, he leaned back and planted the sylph's back against the mat as Hoopa flew toward them, shouting, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" only for Lopunny to leap at him, planting her feet into his forehead as he fell on his back, the crowd going wild.

With that, Diancie's feet returned to normal as the beetle proceeded to climb onto her back, saying, "Unlike Hoopa, you won't be able to use cheap tactics to escape from this," taking hold of her ankles and bending her knees for a Boston Crab, Blaziken exclaiming, "Oh yeah, that's more like it!"

But just as Lopunny was ready to kick Hoopa in the gut, the genie grimaced and threw his hands forward, taking hold of both feet before swinging them downward, planting the rabbit's back against the mat. Lopunny tried to get up only for Hoopa to rise and send a hard punch into her face.

This provided just enough of a distraction for him to snap his fingers, his hand appearing behind Heracross and taking hold of his horn. The beetle's eyes widened as the hand flew back toward its owner, the beetle trying his best to continue holding onto Diancie.

Hoopa smiled as this only caused the horn to bend a little bit more, but he was even more pleased when it provided enough force to cause Heracross to release his hold on Diancie. He then flew toward Hoopa as the genie lifted up Lopunny before she could recover and held her in front of the beetle, allowing his horn to ram into her forehead thus expanding the wound dealt earlier by Diancie.

Machoke cried, "LOPUNNY!" as blood flew from that very spot, she and Heracross both on their backs with the beetle lying on top of her, Beedrill saying, "And with a rather creative strategy, Hoopa has turned Heracross' strongest part against his own ally! This is not looking good for the Bouncing Biceps!"

Diancie slowly rose to her feet with a light smile, Hoopa smirking and saying, "You may not realize it, but you did a good job striking his horn like that. Now I think it's high time I finish the job."

"Wait, what!?" Machoke spat as Gardevoir whimpered, "Oh no! I hope those two can recover soon! I get the feeling his plan might actually work!"

And it seemed so as Hoopa lifted Heracross off of his ally, flipping him onto his belly and placing a firm grip against his horn. He then proceeded to pull as hard as he could as Heracross opened his eyes, shouting, "HEY, STOP THAT!"

But just as he was about to respond, Diancie placed her palm against the mat and said, "Gem Growth," causing a diamond to form under the beetle's chin and strike him in that exact spot just hard enough to weaken him, the gem vanishing into the mat as the beetle's face hit the material hard.

Lopunny gritted her teeth as she was just about to rise back to her feet. Unfortunately, Diancie had not forgotten about her as she once again formed her diamond, floating just slightly above the rabbit and shouting, "DIAMOND METEOR!"

With that, Lopunny took the diamond to her gut as she coughed up blood, her head falling against the canvas. Due to the sylph's height, she had not dealt as much damage as she normally did, but it was still enough to distract the rabbit while Hoopa continued to pull on Heracross' horn.

"Yes, I'm gonna make history today!" the genie exclaimed, "I'll be the first fighter to overpower Heracross' mighty horn!" all going silent amongst the crowd as the horn continued to bend further and further.

Since the earlier attempts had not shown the greatest of results, no one had noticed up until now that the horn had bent back. But now everyone could see it, proof that Diancie's hit earlier had actually been effective.

Seeing this, Machoke's eyes widened as he spat, "COME ON, HERACROSS, FIGHT IT!" only for Hoopa's grin to widen as he exclaimed, "It's too late!" applying just enough force for the bottom of the horn to come open.

The crowd gasped, including Hoopa's fans, as blood flew from that very spot, Heracross crying out in agonizing pain while Hoopa held up his horn, shouting, "THERE, NOW YOUR STRONGEST WEAPON IS USELESS!" the genie letting out maniacal laughter as even Nori and Beedrill were too shocked to commentate on this. Now what could the Bouncing Biceps possibly do?


	33. Chapter 33

This was truly horrifying. As if the beating the Bouncing Biceps had taken in so far was not bad enough, Heracross had just lost his most powerful weapon, his horn. Now how could he possibly match blows with the Demonic Angels?

Since Lopunny had not taken in full damage from the Diamond Meteor, she was still conscious as she noticed this. And needless to say, she was just as mortified as the majority of the crowd. It was not so much the loss of the horn but rather the blood pouring down her ally's forehead.

"This isn't happening!" one of Heracross' fans groaned, covering her eyes as another exclaimed, "End this match, Beedrill! He needs medical attention!"

It seemed many others agreed as Machoke sighed, "I hate to say it, but he really needs to get that hole patched up," Reika nodding and exclaiming, "Yeah, Beedrill, don't just sit there! Ring the bell!"

"Yes," Beedrill replied, "Heracross' blood is coming out at an alarming rate, therefore-" but just as he rose his stinger to ring the bell, a certain Scottish voice exclaimed, "NO!"

The crowd gasped as Heracross slowly rose to his feet, the bleeding starting to slow down as he took many deep breaths, grunting, "I can still fight!" Beedrill uttering, "You sure about that? Look, there's no shame in giving up, especially in your condition."

Even Lopunny was starting to agree as she whimpered, "Yeah, just forfeit the match. I'm sure Machoke and Blaziken can beat these two," the two heroes in question nodding their heads.

Blaziken had a grin on her face as she exclaimed, "Yeah, leave them to us!" Hoopa smirking and thinking, 'This is even better than I could have ever imagined.'

Diancie, all the while, really hoped Heracross would agree to give up. As much as causing extreme pain gave Hoopa pleasure, the sylph only did it because she felt like she had to. If there was a way to win this match without hospitalizing both of her opponents, she would take it.

However, Heracross let out a loud cry as suddenly the bleeding came to a stop as he exclaimed, "There! I'm not bleeding anymore! I can continue this match!"

While most of his fans cheered for him, Machoke shook his head and groaned, "He's getting ahead of himself," Gardevoir nodding and squeaking, "He really should have taken that offer."

And sure enough, Heracross would soon regret this decision as Hoopa smirked and said, "Fine by me," striking the beetle in the face with his own horn thus knocking him on his back.

The crowd gasped as Nori stated, "And just like that, Hoopa's used Heracross' horn against him! And since the weapon was once a part of the beetle, this is perfectly legal!" Machoke gritting his teeth, fury filling him up. To see heroes rely on dirty tactics to win tournament matches was not exactly unheard of, but never had one ever gone this far to win a match.

Lopunny tried to get up only for Diancie to once again encase her hands in crystal, sending both fists into the back of the the rabbit's head. Thus Heracross was unable to defend himself as Hoopa flipped him over onto his belly and delivered a series of whacks to the back of his head with the horn. This ultimately caused that part to open up as well, even Hoopa's own fans not sure whether to support this or not.

All the while, Diancie did the same with Lopunny as she rested on her back, delivering multiple punches to the back of her head. And since her hands were still encased in crystal, this caused the rabbit to bleed as well.

Hoopa had the biggest grin on his face as he exclaimed, "Yeah, how does it feel!? How does the source of all your greatest techniques feel when used against you!?" Heracross slowly raising his hands in front of the spot being struck in a vain attempt to prevent further damage.

Seeing this, Reika got up and snapped, "COME ON, YOU TWO! IF YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE FIGHTING, THEN STOP LETTING THEM WHALE ON YOU LIKE THIS!" people staring as the girl added, "You two were actually doing a good job up until this point! Are you gonna let the loss of a single weapon ruin that!?"

Machoke took a deep breath and added, "Yeah, she's got a point, Heracross. Your horn wasn't exactly the only thing you used against me. You're plenty strong even without it! As long as the loss of your horn isn't killing you, you can still win this!"

These words seemed to work as Heracross gritted his teeth, grunting, "Aye! He's right!" the beetle shifting his hands backward when the horn came for him again.

Almost as if Heracross knew exactly what spot it was headed toward, he managed to grab it, a grin on his face as he said, "Thanks for taking care of my horn for me, but I'll gladly take it off your hands."

Hoopa's eyes widened as the beetle proceeded to pry the horn out of his grip before rising to his feet once more. However, the genie had no time to react as Heracross wasted no time turning to face him, swinging his horn into his cheek and sending him flying away from him.

He then took a deep breath and thought, 'Machoke's right. As strong as my horn is, I need to get used to fighting without it, at least for now,' the beetle tossing it out of the ring before charging at Diancie, ramming his shoulder into her side. This caused her to fall on her side thus ending her onslaught on Lopunny, the crowd going wild.

"And just as it seemed like the Bouncing Biceps had truly lost, Heracross makes a surprising comeback!" Nori exclaimed as Beedrill nodded and said, "Though I have to say, giving up his horn when using it like a sword is perfectly legal due to a technicality is certainly ballsy on his part. Let's see if he can keep this up."

Lopunny twitched all over as Heracross knelt down, taking hold of her hand with a warm smile, asking "Are you okay?"

The rabbit looked up at him as she bit her lower lip, uttering, "Heracross, I know what we promised, but I'm sure Scyther will forgive us. And Talonflame may give us a hard time at first, but I'm sure he'll understand too."

The beetle let out a sigh and shook his head, remarking, "I'm not sure if we can actually win this match anymore, but we gotta keep trying. Scyther and Talonflame fought to the bitter end and so will we."

Unfortunately, Hoopa and Diancie started to rise back up, Hoopa snickering with a wicked grin, saying, "Nice speech. Almost brought me to tears, but it's way too late."

However, Lopunny frowned and retorted, "No it's not!" before nodding at Heracross as the beetle lifted her up, swinging her by her arm before flinging her toward Diancie, the sylph taking a hard kick to her chest, the crowd cheering as Nori exclaimed, "And it would seem Heracross' recovery was not in vain as he and Lopunny are once again dominating the match!"

Heracross then proceeded to fly toward Hoopa with his arms crossed, stating, "I don't need my horn to defeat you!"

Hoopa smirked and readied his fists only for the beetle to pick up the speed of his flight, ramming both of his arms into the genie's face. And with that, he wrapped said parts around him, binding his hands in place as he exclaimed, "ALRIGHT, LOPUNNY, LET'S GIVE THEM A PIECE OF OUR MINDS!"

"Right!" the rabbit squealed with a big grin, Machoke shouting, "Wow! I wasn't sure if they could do it, but they might actually pull this off!" Gardevoir nodding as Reika barked, "Yeah, teach them a lesson!"

With that, Heracross continued to hold Hoopa in place while the genie struggled, groaning, "Let me go, you brute!" while Lopunny wrapped her ears around Diancie, leaping high above the mat and flipping herself one-hundred and eighty degrees, the two descending from above the other two fighters.

With that, Heracross took to the sky as he and Lopunny shouted, "BUNNY-BEETLE DRIVER!" slamming the heads of both Demonic Angels into one-another. As a result, both Hoopa and Diancie coughed up blood as Lopunny and Heracross released their holds on them, allowing them to collapse while the crowd was beyond ecstatic.

Nori described exactly what had just happened as Heracross turned to Lopunny with a grin and said, "See, lass? We don't need my horn to be awesome," the rabbit nodding with a light smile and replying, "Thanks. I was just about to lose all hope."

This seemed to be enough as Nori started the ten count, Hoopa and Diancie not moving an inch. The crowd cheered even louder as Reika shouting, "YOU GUYS ROCK!" Blaziken saying, "Looking forward to our match."

However, Machoke and Gardevoir both looked uncertain as the boy uttered, "Guys, you might be getting ahead of yourselves," pointing forward as they soon noticed it. Hoopa and Diancie's hands were twitching.

And once Nori reached eight, Hoopa made a full recovery, rising back up as Diancie joined him shortly after, both breathing heavily with a looks irritation in their eyes. Hoopa had been rather enjoying taking away their advantages up to this point, but now he just wanted to match to end.

Lopunny and Heracross slowly turned to them as Hoopa said, "I'll admit, it's impressive that you two can even stand right now, but it's time for us to end this," Diancie nodding as she said, "I'm ready."

With that in mind, Hoopa swung his horn around as Heracross exclaimed, "I don't think so!" spreading out his wings only for Diancie to place her hands against the mat, shouting, "Gem Growth!"

And with that, two gems came up behind the beetle, piercing his wings as Hoopa said, "Good. Now you can't fly your way out of this move," before flinging his horn under the beetle, the vortex forming as he was pulled in.

And of course, Hoopa's waist ring was teleported above the ring as Heracross emerged from it, the genie flying up toward him as Lopunny spat, "I THINK NOT!"

But just as she was about to bounce up to his level, Diancie formed her floatation diamond and flew toward her, grabbing hold of the rabbit's ears and pointing said diamond at her back. With that, she said, "Blaziken helped inspire this one," the chicken gritting her teeth at the sound of this as the sylph shouted, "DIAMOND MOUNT!" once again driving it into the rabbit's back.

However, because she had applied more pressure this time, the diamond went through Lopunny's belly as blood flew out, though she had made sure not to apply too much force. After all, she knew what would happen if she killed the rabbit and with how skinny Lopunny was, too much pressure could have potentially split her in half. Even without the rules, Diancie did not wish to resort to that.

And while this happened, Hoopa had his hands latched onto Heracross as he had the beetle's head facing the mat, and now that the beetle no longer had his horn, the genie would not need to reposition his head to guarantee he would take in damage. And all the while, the crowd just watched in silence, Reika letting down light tears as she knew where this was headed.

"HYPERSPACE HOLE!" Hoopa exclaimed with a big grin as he slammed Heracross' skull hard into the canvas, the beetle coughing up blood as his eyes were wide open.

And with that, the genie released his hold on him and allowed him to collapse, snapping his fingers and saying, "Well, I think that wraps things up, don't you, Miss Nori?"

The woman gasped and nodded, starting the ten count as Beedrill was unsure how to feel about this. He knew he could not just make accusations without proof, but he had a feeling the Demonic Angels were not really heroes. Sure, Lucario had done some extreme things during the Olympics, but none of them had permanent results. Heracross losing his horn, on the other hand, felt too far, especially since now it would likely make fighting villains a lot more difficult for him. Even if someone could reattach it, there was no way to guarantee he would be able to increase its strength afterwards.

And sure enough, Nori soon reached ten as she rang the bell, exclaiming, "And the team facing off against Machoke and Blaziken in the finals is the Demonic Angels!" Hoopa and Diancie's fans staring briefly before smiling and cheering. After all, they were already aware of how dirty of a fighter Hoopa was, and as long as he did not kill his opponent, they would not lose their respect for him this easily.

Hoopa cast Machoke a wicked smirk as the boy shuddered, Blaziken patting him on the shoulder. Though despite that, the boy's excitement for the final match and working alongside the chicken had left him. Now he knew he would have to work harder than ever before, especially now that this actually felt a tad personal.

Diancie took a deep breath and gazed at Blaziken, but why? What reason did she have to fixate her?

Whatever the case, medics came in to load Heracross and Lopunny onto stretchers as Beedrill stated, "And that concludes the semi-finals. Both matches were very intense, but I'm sure the best has been saved for last. We'll just have to wait and see who will be victorious when Machoke and Blaziken go up against the Demonic Angels five days from now."

"Five days?" Machoke uttered as Blaziken shrugged and stated, "That's not as long as you had to prepare for the Olympic finals, but it's still a good amount of time to prepare ourselves."

"You're right," Machoke replied with a serious look, "And we're gonna make the best use of that time," Gardevoir giving the two a sweet smile and saying, "I'll help you train if you'd like."

Machoke was about to object but decided this was a good idea as he grinned at his girlfriend, giving her a big hug and saying, "You're the best," Reika chuckling at this before turning back toward the ring, watching Heracross and Lopunny being loaded up.

However, when Machoke looked back, he noticed something was off and gasped, "Hold it, medical guys!" running toward the ring as the four stopped what they were doing, one of them asking, "Sir, what are you doing?"

The boy ignored the question and approached the side of the ring, picking up Heracross' horn and saying, "I was just thinking you probably wouldn't wanna leave without this," placing the body part next to Heracross on the stretcher and taking a deep breath, saying, "Get well soon, pal."

The medics all looked at one-another, feeling a tad ashamed of themselves for not noticing something so important. After all, if they were quick enough, it would be possible to have the horn reattached to Heracross' head.

And as the two were taken out of the area, Hoopa and Diancie were still there as the sylph had a neutral look. However, the genie next to her smirked and said, "Machoke, as much of a softie as you are, I've seen more than enough proof that you are, indeed, an opponent worthy of facing me. As such, I look forward to our match."

Machoke shot him a glare as he and Diancie exited the area. And with that out of the way, the boy headed toward the exit along with his friends. There was no way he would lose the finals, even if he was unaware of the fact that he would face two villains again.

Before Machoke and Blaziken could start training, though, the group headed to the hospital to check up on Aipom. After all, she had expelled a lot of energy during the match with Smeargle and Vespiquen and taken in a lot of pain. Hopefully she would be able to at least recover in time for the finals. Machoke wanted her to be there to watch it.

And of course there were Florges and Smeargle, though they had left the hospital not too long ago. After all, Smeargle was in shockingly good health despite having taken in a lot of damage during his match with Machoke and Florges had made a full recovery. Though they did certainly plan on returning every now and then to check up on Masquerain.

As it just so happened, Lucario and Clauncher finally recovered and had also left the hospital. Upon exiting, they were immediately swamped by reporters, though they all came mostly for Lucario.

"So, it has been said that you lost once before this, but how does it feel to suffer yet another defeat?" one asked as another added, "And after facing the Demonic Angels, do you think Machoke and Blaziken stand a chance? Machoke did lose to you, after all."

Lucario let out a sigh and replied, "If I could be perfectly honest, I have hope for those two. If there's one thing I can honestly say, it's that Machoke certainly has what it takes to defeat them. He's also gotten a lot better since the time we fought. I'm even willing to bet that if we were to face off in the finals, he would probably defeat me."

The reporters were very surprised to hear this as the dog added, "Machoke, if you're listening, I believe you can win this match. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Well, there you have it, folks," one reporter stated, "Lucario fully supports Machoke, and honestly, I can't blame him."

One reporter then turned his own camera to Clauncher, asking, "Say, Miss Clauncher, how does it feel having fought alongside Lucario?" the lobster replying, "Pretty awesome. Of course, it only seems natural. The two of us did stop a pair of criminals together last year," the people now more interested in her than they were before.

Lucario rolled his eyes. After all, he was used to this sort of thing from the media anyway. All that mattered to him right now as that Machoke at least find a way to hear what he had just said as he meant every word of it. If there was anyone he truly believed could at least wipe Hoopa's smug look off of his face, it was Machoke.

During this time, Machoke sat by Aipom's side as the doctor explained that she would likely remain comatose for at least a week. Needless to say, the boy was disappointed to hear this but he also knew it could not be helped. If anything, he was amazed that his trainer would even strain herself that much just to help him make it to the finals. There was no denying that Aipom was certainly dedicated.

Gardevoir smiled and said, "You two really were amazing together. I just think it's cool that you even got such a chance. Machamp never once fought alongside Ambipom, so this really is history in the making," Machoke nodding with a grin and saying, "Yeah, I'm sure she's really glad that we won our first match together, though I do kinda wish she could watch us fight in the finals," turning to Blaziken.

The chicken nodded and rested a hand on his shoulder, saying, "If anything, the very thought of the Raging Bulls being revived in this day and age would probably make her really happy," Machoke nodding as his eyes lit up.

"I know what our new team name can be!" the boy exclaimed with a grin as the chicken nodded, saying, "I'm listening," Gardevoir equally interested.

"Blazing Muscles would be cool, but you're right when you say it sounds too typical," Machoke stated with his arms folded, "I honestly think a more simple approach would work, so how about the New Raging Bulls?"

Blaziken stared in stunned silence as Gardevoir nodded and said, "I like it. You're essentially bringing a new spin to an old team-up. I think keeping the old name makes a lot more sense than thinking up a new one," the chicken tapping her chin and nodding, saying, "You know, that's actually a good point."

She then smirked and stated, "New Raging Bulls it is," the two holding each-other's hands firmly, Gardevoir smiling sweetly.

All the while, Hoopa was resting on the bed in his and Diancie's hotel room, yawning and implying a stretch with his hands, saying, "I'm gonna take a quick nap. Wake me if something important comes up."

Diancie nodded and replied, "Okay," as the genie closed his eyes and instantly fell into a deep sleep. After all, his match today had been a lot more exhausting than he thought it would be.

Diancie smiled with her cheeks light pink as she immediately went to a computer placed on the desk. She wasted no time going to a site where people would upload almost every video and looked up Blaziken's debut match on Earth, back when she faced Onix in Osaka. And of course, before playing the footage, she plugged in a set of ear buds and placed them into the body parts they were made for.

While watching the match, she studied the chicken closely, a serious look in her eyes. While she and Hoopa knew plenty about Machoke, they had barely done any research on his friends, so all of this fascinated her.

However, by the time she finished watching the match, she hardly saw anything all that special about Blaziken. At one point, the chicken would have lost if Machoke had not interfered and distracted Onix. As if that was not enough, none of Blaziken's moves struck her as anything special aside from one slam that took so much out of her, it went on record that she never used that technique ever again.

Diancie then looked up Blaziken's match against Talonflame, back when he disguised himself as a golem named Golurk. As soon as the falcon's identity was revealed, every advantage Blaziken had up to that point left her. But at the same time, she had done a reasonable job hanging in there despite her moves still coming off as nothing special.

She then watched the Olympic qualification matches where, yet again, Blaziken displayed nothing special. Her first opponent was a purple rat name Rattata.

Thanks to his incredible speed and large teeth, he was able to put up a really good fight, yet despite this, Blaziken still defeated him. She managed to catch him off-guard as she leapt high above his head, lighting her talons on fire and sending them into his back with a move she called Blaze Kick Anvil.

Her second opponent was a red cricket with a line on his front side that resembled the middle of a violin. His named was Kricketune and despite his appearance saying otherwise, he was a shockingly powerful adversary.

As it just so happened, the line going down to his bellybutton was an actual violin string, and throughout the match, he used his bow-like arms to play upbeat Texan melodies that would force Blaziken to dance. This would always provide a distraction thus allowing the cricket to strike her multiple times.

However, Blaziken managed to fight it eventually and ultimately defeated the cricket with her Blaze Kick. Once again, nothing too special but still effective.

And after watching the final match with Rapidash, Diancie nodded and thought, 'I think I get it. The reason Blaziken won all those matches is that while her style of fighting is simple, she knows how to make it work to her advantage. I think I can take her easily.'

But this did raise the question, why was Diancie so obsessed with Blaziken right now? Machoke was the one Hoopa wanted to face, not her, so why did the chicken even matter? And furthermore, why did she not tell Hoopa about this? If anything, Hoopa was always the one coming up with the devious plans, not her.

Whatever the case, it seemed that Blaziken had to watch herself. If she was not careful, whatever Diancie had planned could take a serious toll on her.


	34. Chapter 34

With five days to go until the finals, Machoke and Blaziken were hard at work getting ready for the big event. While Hoopa still saw no need to train, the New Raging Bulls were determined to make sure he paid for all the pain and suffering he had caused their friends throughout the tournament.

The first thing they had done was study their parents' matches in the tag team tournament. As was explained before, Combusken did not work alongside Machamp during the first match, thus their kids watched the last two matches, seeing just how well they worked together.

Though at first, the two shockingly did not do so well when going up against a red cyborg with a steel helmet, shoulder, elbow and knee pads that resembled moon rocks named Forretress and a sentient mud statue with red eyes covering the middle of his head named Claydol. For the first little while, Machoke had been so disappointed not to have Xatu as his ally that he tried to win the match all by himself, Combusken constantly trying to get him to tag her in.

When Machamp became overwhelmed, Forretress sending him flying into the turnbuckle, Combusken tagged him out without waiting to see if he was okay with it and while she had a good start, she had ultimately been overwhelmed as well. It was especially bad when Claydol took Forretress' place and rammed his head into her gut, dealing insane damage.

Machoke winced at the sight of this and groaned, "Wow, they kinda sucked, didn't they?" Blaziken nodding and saying, "All Mom ever told me was how awesome she and your dad were as a team. I'm not seeing that."

However, as the match progressed, there came a point where Machamp was forced into the ring to join Combusken and suffer the same pain as her. Needless to say, this was the moment where the two ultimately decided to work together and as if all the pain dealt earlier meant nothing, they managed to get an extreme upper-hand, ultimately using the Muscle Coffin and winning themselves the match.

Seeing this, Machoke grinned and said, "Wow, seems we're not the only ones who can take in extreme pain and still pull off miracles, eh?" Blaziken nodding and replying, "Yeah, the way they just turned that around is really something."

However, the point where the two had to really pay attention was when they switched to the final match where the Raging Bulls went up against Mew and Mewtwo, two villains who had snuck their way into the tournament. Throughout the match, the psychic cats had proven themselves very powerful, but Machamp and Combusken had certainly put up a better fight now that they could work together.

It was a very intense match, one of legends. Mew and Mewtwo had almost won when each formed a dark force field around himself. The two got close enough to combine their fields, making a bigger one as they took hold of Machamp and Combusken, creating a big explosion with a move known as Psystrike, a move they had used to defeat the other two teams before them.

But just as it looked like the match had been won, Machamp and Combusken made a shocking recovery, setting the two cats up for the Muscle Coffin and defeating them for good. Watching this all the way through as opposed to just the end of the match made Machoke start to idolize his father, his eyes sparkling along with Blaziken's. Needless to say, both had been inspired greatly by this match.

And of course, both had taken notes on the other team moves Machamp and Combusken used throughout the match, Machoke asking, "So, you think you can pull off the Muscle Coffin?"

"If Mom could pull it off, so can I!" the chicken replied with a smirk as she and Machoke felt truly confident that they could defeat the Demonic Angels.

While this went on, Florges and Smeargle had gone to visit Masquerain in the hospital, the beagle sighing, "I still can't believe someone would go this far. I just really hope you're right when you say the one responsible has been put to justice."

Florges nodded and replied, "I'm certain it was Ditto. He was posing as Beedrill. He could have easily used his stingers to do this."

Both suddenly went wide-eyed as they noticed something no one would have expected, at least not this soon. Masquerain's pointing finger was actually moving, but very slowly and fidgety. Needless to say, Smeargle and Florges were not only shocked but slightly thrilled.

After all, back when Greninja suffered brain damage, it was at least a couple of months before any movement was seen at all and it would be another four months before she would fully recover. For whatever reason, Masquerain was recovering much more quickly.

However, Smeargle's smile turned to a look of curiosity as he noticed her finger shift toward the TV, which had been turned to the news network. Currently, Hoopa and Diancie were being filmed taking interviews from quite a few reporters, many asking how it felt to make it as far as the finals.

Florges blinked and uttered, "Would you much rather we change the channel?" Masquerain wanting so badly to shake her head. Unfortunately, all she could do right now was move her finger and as such, she could not fully communicate what she was trying to get across.

As such, Florges nodded and switched to a music video channel, namely MTV Japan, saying, "There, you'd much rather watch this, oui? It is your favourite channel," Smeargle blinking and saying, "Hey, they're playing that new cover for SOS. I love that song!" the two smiling and dancing along with it, figuring that this would make Masquerain happier.

Unfortunately, all this did was make her want to face-palm, but needless to say, she could not even do that. As she was, she did not even have the mental capacity to let down so much as a tear.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Reika was checking up on Talonflame and Scyther. While the falcon was still out, Scyther had amazingly recovered as she was currently having a conversation with the human girl.

"So they say I should be able to walk again soon," the insect stated as Reika nodded and replied, "That's good. You'll be able to see Machoke and Blaziken wipe the floor with the Demonic Angels."

Scyther nodded and replied, "Ja. I can definitely see them doing it. Mother told me a lot about the matches that Machamp and Combusken fought. To think those two are going to carry on that legacy."

Reika nodded and sighed, "I have to say, after the beating you took in, I'm really glad you were able to recover as quickly as you have. It gives us more time to spend together before the big match."

Scyther rose an eyebrow as the black-haired girl bit her lower lip, uttering, "It's just, well, of all my hero friends, you're the one I like spending time with the most," Scyther nodding and replying, "Ja. Same here."

Reika's eyes widened as the insect added, "You're the coolest human I've ever met. Sure, Cici's strong, but I've seen you piledrive a guy twice your size just to protect your friends. I think if humans were allowed in these tournaments, you might actually make it far. You could even be a modern day Hyun."

Reika's cheeks were bright pink as she uttered, "I'm not that strong, am I?" fiddling with her hands as Scyther nodded and took hold of them, looking into the girl's eyes.

With that, the two leaned forward and gave each-other a peck on the lips, Reika pulling back with her eyes wide open, Scyther's smile becoming warmer. Neither had to say anymore. All that mattered was that this was undoubtedly the happiest moment of Reika's life.

The next three days passed as Gallade and Hitmonchan had decided to go out for lunch, Hitmonchan smiling and saying, "You know what? I'm actually kinda glad we lost the first round. It gives us more time to spend together, you know?" Gallade nodding and replying, "Yeah, you make a good point. Just think, we could be like Machoke and Blaziken and spend all of our free time training."

He then kept up the same expression and uttered, "Training for the biggest event the world has ever seen, one so important it could get us featured in the papers," the boy's head slamming against the table as Hitmonchan patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I'm sure there'll be more tournaments."

Gallade then lifted his head and replied, "Yeah, you're right," rubbing the back of his head before adding, "Though I really hope Machoke and Blaziken can do this. Those Demonic Angels are scary. To think they'd go so far as to rip off Heracross' horn without any remorse."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," Hitmonchan replied, "That seems a little extreme for a tournament for heroes. I mean, yes, Lucario did something very similar to Metang, but keep in mind, he still held back enough so the pieces would be big. He made sure Metang's hands could be repaired easily. It's just, well, I think Hoopa knew that removing Heracross' horn would have major repercussions. I think deep down, he was fully aware of the fact that Heracross would have more trouble fighting evil without it."

"You have a point there," Gallade replied, "Talonflame went so far as to break Scyther's arm and leg, but that wasn't permanent damage. And when Lucario disabled Garchomp, that wasn't a permanent disability either. Heck, Scyther put a big gash across my body when we fought, and I'm fine," the boy pointing at the stitching going sideways up his torso and adding, "This is the first time I've ever seen a fellow hero go this far."

After a few seconds, both went wide-eyed as they uttered in unison, "You don't think-" the two then rising up as Gallade said, "I think we should find out where Hoopa and Diancie are staying and investigate."

Unbeknownst to them, though, a mysterious woman with blood red eyes in an extra large trench coat and a fedora had been listening in on them. Though for some strange reason, the bottom of her outfit was spread out like the bottom of a dress.

She watched them leave and thought, 'So, they plan to expose Hoopa, do they? I simply cannot allow that,' before rising up and taking off, a pair of wings sticking out of her back.

Some people turned and stared as one customer turned to his friend and whispered, "Hey, is that who I think it is?" the other person shrugging and replying, "After what Machoke and Aipom did to her, I doubt she's out of the hospital yet."

Meanwhile, Blaziken and Machoke had just finished a great deal of training, the two practising a move that involved the chicken standing atop the boy's shoulders, the two spinning and forming a twister of flames. They then rammed themselves into a test dummy, burning it to ashes and grinning at their handiwork.

"Alright!" Blaziken exclaimed with a smirk, "We're more than ready for this!" Gardevoir clapping and squealing, "That was awesome! You guys rule!"

Machoke nodded with a grin as he said, "Well, not much time before the finals. Do you think we should continue?" Blaziken sighing, "Nah. We've done enough. If anything, we should save our strength for tomorrow."

Gardevoir nodded and said, "Yeah, if you overwork yourselves, you won't have any energy when the match comes," Machoke nodding and replying, "You're probably right."

It was still amazing just how eager the boy was about training. A year ago, he hated this. He hated it when Aipom forced him to train and made him come up with ways to escape from submission techniques, and yet now, he was more serious about this than ever before.

Blaziken was ready to head off as she said, "I think I'll pick up some groceries on the way home. See you tomorrow, pal," Machoke nodding and replying, "Yeah! We'll show those Demonic Angels what we're made of!"

And with that, Blaziken exited the area as Gardevoir smiled softly and uttered, "Hey, um, Machoke. We're alone right now," the boy's eyes widening as he turned and uttered, "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

The girl nodded and replied, "Well, some of the girls at the club said now that we're a couple, this is perfectly okay," Machoke sighing, "You know there's no shame in waiting until marriage, right?" Gardevoir nodding as he shrugged and added, "Well, as long as you know what you're doing, though I'll warn you, this is my first time."

"Oh, I didn't mean that," Gardevoir replied, clasping her hands over her mouth as her cheeks turned beet red, "I meant first base," Machoke nodding and saying, "There's the Gardevoir I know."

Unbeknownst to any of them, though, someone dressed in a white trench coat with a collar and hat big enough to hide her face had been standing nearby, listening in on the conversation. Thus when Blaziken took off to go shopping, she knew exactly where to go as she sprinted off toward the nearest grocery store herself. Seeing as Blaziken was not running, she knew she would make it first, but who was this stranger and why did this matter to her so much?

Whatever the case, this would have to wait as the stranger from the restaurant had followed Gallade and Hitmonchan near an alleyway. Seeing an opportunity, she flew over to them and tapped Gallade on the shoulder, the boy turning and saying, "Hello, there," not even questioning the wings. After all, he was friends with humanoid bugs, so it was not as if such a thing was foreign to him.

"Can we help you with something?" Hitmonchan asked as the woman nodded and replied, "Yes. See, I lost my purse in the alley over here but I'm too afraid to enter. I was wondering if you would be kind enough as to go and help me find it."

Gallade grinned and replied, "Sure. Leave it to us," Hitmonchan nodding as she and her boyfriend entered the dark alley, the stranger's eyes implying a smirk as she followed them.

Meanwhile, Blaziken had arrived at the grocery store when she noticed the stranger in the white trench coat fleeing while carrying a cantaloupe with her right arm while holding a pistol in her left hand. She could just tell the fruit was stolen and thus she proceeded to pursue the stranger, barking, "HEY, GET BACK HERE WITH THAT PRODUCE!"

The woman turned and narrowed her eyelids, picking up the pace. And while Blaziken was faster than she had anticipated, she still managed to outrun the chicken long enough to reach a temple, dashing inside of it. And upon entering, she looked back and forth to make sure no one else was inside, but why did this matter so much to her?

Either way, it seemed the woman was cornered when Blaziken entered, barking, "ALRIGHT, RETURN WHAT YOU'VE STOLEN!" the woman sighing, "Such a temper, Blaziken. What's so special about a single cantaloupe?" before placing it on the floor and adding, "Don't worry, I intend to return to the store and pay for it later."

"Wait, if that's true, then why did you steal it in the first place?" Blaziken retorted, "You could have saved yourself heaps of trouble," the woman sighing, "Please, my only intention was to lure you into a place where no one could come to your aid," before removing her clothes to reveal a familiar sylph underneath, Blaziken's eyes wide open as she uttered, "Diancie?"

"That's right," Diancie remarked with a serious expression as she encased her hands in crystal, holding up her fists and getting ready to fight.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing!?" Blaziken snapped, "You know we're not allowed to fight until we enter the ring, right!?" Diancie retorting, "That's why I brought you here, so no one could witness this."

The chicken stared for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and growling, "Oh, I get it! You're planning to take me out before the big match and you waited until now so I'd have very little time to recover! I'm right, aren't I?"

The sylph nodded as stated, "I've seen how good you and Machoke are when working together," the chicken blinking and remarking, "So you've been spying on us?"

Diancie nodded once again before adding, "Simply put, all Hoopa wants is to defeat Machoke. He couldn't care less about you. As such, I intend to remove you from the picture so defeating Machoke will be a lot easier."

Blaziken stared silently for a few seconds, a dumbfounded look on her face. She then shook her head and retorted, "Are you stupid or something? Look, for starters, there's no way you're taking me down. But also, even if your plan works, Machoke has lots of friends who can easily replace me. Hospitalizing me would mean nothing."

"That's what you think," Diancie remarked, "but you weren't awake to see his quarter-finals match. While it's true that Machoke did, in fact, win, he came very close to failure. In fact, once the tornado tag portion started up, things took a turn for worse, and you know why?"

"I got brief details about that one," Blaziken replied, "Hawlucha was badly injured by Machoke's opponents, so he had to replaced by Golduck, right?" Diancie nodding and adding, "Yes, but they only had two days to work together. As such, they weren't able to come up with any team moves that could actually work. As such, Machoke barely made it out alive while Golduck suffered heavy injuries and was unable to continue. Only this time, there's less than twenty-four hours left before the finals. As such, the odds of him finding a suitable replacement in time for the match and coming up with good team moves is slim to none."

The chicken fumed and spat, "You really thought this through, but mark my words! Not only will I beat you today, but I won't report you because I know I'll be able to kick your ass again in the ring!"

With that, Blaziken raced toward Diancie as her leg caught flame, the chicken sending a kick to her face, shouting, "BLAZE KICK JUNIOR!" the sylph wincing as she found herself knocked on her back.

The chicken then latched her arms and legs around Diancie's leg, using her family's most famous submission hold. However, Diancie refused to accept this as she placed her hands against the mat, grunting, "Gem Growth!"

With that, a gem shot up under the chicken as she wound up releasing her hold and flying into the air, her back cut open as blood descended toward the floor. And it would only get worse as Diancie leapt up to her level, holding up both of her crystal-encrusted fists and exclaiming, "DIAMOND GAVEL!" planting both into the chicken's gut and sending her crashing into the surface.

She knew just how persistent Blaziken could be and as such, she wasted no time turning her legs into her floatation diamond and floating over the chicken. And once she was in the right spot, she exclaimed, "DIAMOND METEOR!" descending toward her and planting the object into her gut, Blaziken coughing up blood. Though, like before with Lopunny, Diancie had applied just enough pressure to potentially knock her out but held back so the chicken would not die as a result.

Seeing Blaziken's eyes rolled to the back of her head convinced Diancie that this had worked as she let out a sigh, thinking, 'I'm sorry, but all I care about is Hoopa's happiness. I know he would have much rather been here, but I need to show him that I can be independent.'

However, her eyes widened when suddenly, Blaziken lifted her arms, taking hold of the diamond and grunting, "Don't count me out just yet!" but just as she was about to try and remove it, she found herself in too much pain as she released her hold, her arms and head collapsing against the floor, Diancie breathing a sigh of relief.

'I have a feeling he might be upset at first, but this will make things much easier for us,' the sylph thought as she exited the area. Hopefully someone would discover the unconscious chicken soon.

And while this happened, the other stranger had revealed herself to be Vespiquen and had been fighting Gallade and Hitmonchan. Currently, she had the two knocked down with Hitmonchan on top of her boyfriend, the bee flying over them and unleashing her big orange stinger.

The two lovers tried to move but were too late when Vespiquen descended toward them, shouting, "FELL STINGER!" and planting it hard into Hitmonchan's back, sending it through just far enough to put a hole in Gallade's back.

This was more than enough as the two coughed up blood, soon out cold. The bee implied a wicked smirk and thought, 'There. That'll shut them up. And besides, the less cheering Machoke receives tomorrow, the harder it will be for him to win.'

However, her eyes widened when she turned and noticed a young woman had been watching the event with a cellphone out. And while this could very well have been mere assumption, Vespiquen could not help but assume this human had called the authorities.

With that, she wasted no time flying toward the human and hooking her neck with her arm, knocking her on her back as she held that very spot, rolling back and forth in pain while Vespiquen rolled her eyes, sighing, "Baby."

She then held up the phone and looked at the woman's call history, and sure enough, her most recent number was 'one, one, zero'. With that, the bee immediately tossed the phone hard into the woman's gut as she winced from the impact, sighing in disappointment. While she felt she had done her job, now there was no doubt she would have to flee the country. After all, without Smeargle by her side, who was to say Machoke would not defeat her a second time?

Either way, this was certainly bad as now Machoke had three of his friends out cold with barely any time to recover before the finals. Things would certainly be a lot more difficult for him now.

Eight o'clock rolled around as Machoke and Gardevoir were currently watching a movie on the aptly named Japanese Film Channel, both curled up in bed with their hands on each-other's shoulders. While they may not have gone the extra mile during their time alone, they certainly enjoyed it.

The movie came to a close as Machoke asked, "What do you wanna do now?" Gardevoir squealing, "Let's see what else is on TV before we decide what else to do!" the boy nodding and flipping channels until he came to one of the news networks, Gardevoir holding his arm and squeaking, "Look, Machoke! It's Gallade!"

Both stared wide-eyed as the boy and Hitmonchan were seen being loaded up onto stretchers and carried out of an alleyway, a reporter saying, "A young woman reported these two heroes, Hitmonchan and Gallade, being attacked by someone. She has identified the assailant as Vespiquen, who many of us are shocked to hear is not still in the hospital."

"Wait, what!?" Machoke gasped, Gardevoir whimpering, "Oh no!" the reporter holding her mic up to the young woman's face and asking, "So, you say she attacked you afterwards, correct?" the victim nodding as the reporter added, "Did you see where she went?"

The woman let out a sigh and groaned, "No. I was too weak to notice," the conversation continuing as Machoke turned off the TV and turned to Gardevoir, getting up and saying, "I think I know exactly what we're gonna do now."

Gardevoir nodded as the two got up and sprinted off toward the hospital. Sure, they would much rather not have to go there again, but this was Gardevoir's brother they were talking about. Such a thing could not be held off.

The two soon arrived and were headed to the room where Gallade and Hitmonchan were resting. But while on their way, Machoke's eyes widened when he passed by one room and noticed Blaziken, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped.

Gardevoir turned and uttered, "Machoke, are you coming?" the boy nodding and saying, "Go ahead, sweetie. I'll catch up to you in a bit," the boy running over to the chicken and uttering, "This can't be."

A nurse turned to him and asked, "Oh, you're Machoke, right? My daughter's a big fan of yours," a light smile on her face as Machoke turned and nodded, saying, "That's pretty cool," before turning back to Blaziken and groaning, "This isn't fair. She just got out of the hospital."

"Yeah, I know," the nurse replied with a sigh, "I don't know who would do such a thing. She was found in a temple nearby. She had a hole in her midsection."

Machoke breathed heavily, not sure what he could possibly do. But after a few seconds, patted the sides of his head and put on a more serious look, saying, "Don't worry, Blaziken. I'll win this match for the both of us. I'm sure I can find someone, and if I don't, I'll beat them both if I have to."

With that, he exited the room to check up on Gallade, and sure enough, Gardevoir was seated next to him, touching the back of his hand. Machoke walked over and asked, "How is he?" Gardevoir replying, "He just got badly injured, but he's not dead. Apparently, Hitmonchan's injuries were far worse when she was found."

"Still, to think Vespiquen would resort to something like this," Machoke growled, "What would she have to gain from this? And as if that's not enough, I'm almost certain she went and did the same thing to Blaziken!"

Gardevoir stared wide-eyed and squeaked, "What!?" Machoke sighing, "Yeah, Blaziken was found in the same condition as Hitmonchan. My guess is that Vespiquen's trying to make it harder for me to win my finals match."

Gardevoir had a look of concern on her face as she uttered, "That's horrible. But what are you going to do now?" Machoke sighing, "Well, after coming this far, I can't just back out. And, well, I can't really pursue Vespiquen as no one knows where she went. But hey, there are lots of heroes in the world. I'm sure someone can stop her. I just feel lucky she didn't kill anyone."

Gardevoir nodded as Machoke rubbed his chin, groaning, "But now I'm gonna have to find a new ally. I told myself I could win without one, but this is Hoopa and Diancie we're talking about here."

Hearing this, Gardevoir let out a light gasp, her eyes widening as Machoke had a similar look, both turning to one-another and exclaiming, "WE CAN BE PARTNERS IN THE FINALS!" both pausing for a few seconds as their cheeks turned bright pink, light grins forming on their faces.

But ultimately, this sounded like the next best thing. After all, not only did the two have great chemistry together, but Machoke had inspired Gardevoir to become the hero she was today. As such, both lovers would fight the Demonic Angels together.


	35. Chapter 35

While Machoke and Gardevoir would have much rather spent the last couple of hours before bed having more fun, right now, all that mattered to them was getting ready for the match. After all, they had only just decided to become a team and while Gardevoir had helped Machoke and Blaziken train, she and the boy would still need to get some more in if this was to work.

Gardevoir assured Machoke that she could at least use most of the team moves that he and Blaziken had thought up, and with the way her strength had gone up so significantly over time, the boy believed it. And it also helped that at the very least, he could definitely pull off the team move Gardevoir and Blaziken had used on Vespiquen, the Eclipse Hook.

Even with such a short period to time to train, the two lovers were more than confident that they could defeat the Demonic Angels. And thus when midnight came around, the two got ready for bed before crawling under Machoke's covers. After all, it was too late for Gardevoir to head home.

Machoke took a deep breath and said, "You know, this is the first time we've ever slept together," Gardevoir's cheeks bright pink as she nodded and squealed, "Yeah! We're only going to sleep, but I'm still feeling a little nervous!"

"Oh my god, you're just too adorable, you know that?" Machoke replied with a big grin as the two shared a brief kiss, turning off the lights and saying, "Goodnight," in unison, staring at one-another briefly before laughing.

And while this went on, Hoopa was ready for bed as well, saying, "You know, Tokyo is rather nice. Just think, we might own it someday," Diancie nodding with a light smile as the genie asked, "By the way, where did you go earlier?"

"What?" the sylph uttered as Hoopa said, "I was awake when you came home from your little trip," Diancie nodding and replying, "Oh, right. I was just out for a little stroll, seeing our new home and all that."

The genie pouted and remarked, "You could have invited me along," Diancie nervously biting her lower lip as he implied a shrug with his hands and added, "Whatever. Once we win our match tomorrow, we'll have all the time in the world to enjoy this place."

Diancie nodded, not sure whether or not to reveal what she had done. After all, he had been rather upset when Machoke was unable to fight alongside Hawlucha in the second round, though that was more due to the fact that his chance at facing Machoke had lowered because of that. Now that he was facing Machoke, surely he would be okay with the boy possibly fighting alone.

Even so, Diancie decided it may as well be a secret as she turned off the lights, her pink pupils sparkling in the darkness. Hoopa looked deep into that very spot as the sylph blushed brightly, pursing her lips. It looked as if the genie was about to kiss her.

However, she wound up disappointed as Hoopa groaned, "Okay, you're closing your eyes first. I can't sleep with that blinding light in my face," the sylph pouting but laying down and closing her eyes. The way she saw it, it might very well have been inconsiderate of her to keep her eyes open when they glowed in the dark.

And with that, the night went by as soon enough, morning came. Both Machoke and Gardevoir awoke extra early to prepare themselves for the match. Needless to say, the world would certainly be surprised to see them team up for such a big event.

Although at the same time, not having Blaziken and Gallade there to cheer them on would certainly feel weird. After all, the two of them had been with the group ever since Machoke was forced to go to Hero Planet. The only time Machoke did not have any of them cheering him on was when he faced Lopunny in the Next Gen tournament. Since then, they had always at least been able to watch his matches no matter what.

And of course, Aipom had not yet recovered and thus would not be able to watch the match either. Even when Machoke fought Lucario, the monkey did have the strength to at least watch him fight.

Even so, Machoke had to remember that all of his other friends were there as he grinned and asked, "You ready for this, sweetie?" Gardevoir nodding with a big smile and saying in a forced deep voice, "We'll turn them suckahs into roadkill," Machoke chuckling in response to this.

He still remembered way back when Gardevoir faced Scrafty in her debut match on Earth. It was the first time the girl had worn her old black jersey and spiked collar that Machoke bought specifically for her entrance. Her hair had been spiked up and she had made the same threatening statement to Scrafty as a means of intimidating him. And while no one actually took it as seriously as Machoke had hoped, that very entrance had helped Gardevoir overcome her fear of fighting.

It also meant a lot to Machoke that Gardevoir had chosen to wear the jersey and collar to every occasion, not just matches. He did not even ask her to do it. In fact, a part of him had expected her to remove the clothes, but she still kept them regardless. And when Machoke bought her a red jersey after her black one had been torn to shreds, she wore that one for every occasion.

With that in mind, the two exited Machoke's house and headed toward the Tokyo Dome. Sure, they still had a little more than three hours before the match would begin, but they wanted to be there as soon as possible if mostly to give themselves more time to train before the match.

However, before the big event, much like with the Hero Olympics, a large crowd was gathered by the Tokyo Dome to meet a few heroes from the previous generation who had travelled to Earth via spaceship. Needless to say, this was a really big deal as many reporters were there, Nori having been hired to announce their presence.

"We are gathered here today by the Tokyo Dome where some real celebrities have come all the way from Hero Planet to watch the Ultimate World Team Tournament finals!" the woman announced with a grin, "But these are not just any ordinary spectators! Oh no, each and every one of these heroes competed in the first ever Ultimate World Team Tournament."

With that, the people were all super excited when the first the emerge was Riolu walking alongside a grey cyborg named Registeel, the woman saying, "The first team to grace us with their presence is The Steel Canines. While these two definitely made for a great team, they unfortunately lost the first round just like Riolu's own son, Lucario. Let's show the footage, shall we?"

The people then shifted their attention to a big TV installed above the Tokyo Dome's entrance showing the results of that fight when they went up against the psychic cats, Mew and Mewtwo. While the two had performed well, they ultimately fell victim to Psystrike.

"I wish they didn't feel the need to show that," Riolu sighed as Registeel stated, "Hey, they were tough."

"And next up are the Sonic Muscles!" Nori exclaimed as the people all cheered for Greninja and Bouffalant, both waving to the crowd. All the while, the TV was playing footage from round two in which they defeated a grey dinosaur with a blue forehead named Rampardos and a cream yellow dinosaur with a black head that resembled a shield named Bastiodon. They did so with a move involving the frog latching her tongue around both fighters while Bouffalant swung her around, sending both opponents into the turnbuckle.

Watching this, Bouffalant grinned and said, "That was beautiful," Greninja nodding and replying, "Indeed. That was the moment where I knew teaming up with you was the best decision."

Next up was a walking thin tree with no leaves on his head but green spheres on his fingers named Sudowoodo, Nori explaining, "As has been stated already, Sudowoodo was Combusken's partner in the first round where the two unfortunately lost to Claydol and Forretress."

She then showed the footage in which Sudowoodo fell victim to a powerful one-handed slam from Forretress called Heavy Slam while Combusken was forced up against the turnbuckle by a move from Claydol. This involved him spinning toward her and ramming his head into her gut and was known as Earth Spinner.

Sudowoodo did not let this get to him too much, though it was certainly a painful moment to watch. However, the crowd was simply loving this. After all, many of them had not seen these matches in ages while the majority were not even alive when these happened.

"Now the next team up is a rather interesting one," Nori stated as Scizor and the four-armed boulder Graveler emerged, Scizor having gone back to Hero Planet a week in advance to prepare for this, "These two made up the Dangerous Boulders and were originally set to face the Sonic Muscles in the first round, but the Rampaging Dinos beat them before they could even enter the ring and took their places! Unfortunately, because not a lot of rules had been made yet, they got away with it."

Scizor went from waving at the crowd to looking beyond humiliated as they showed the footage. Both heroes only landed one hit before falling victim to a move that involved Rampardos ramming her cranium into Scizor's back, forcing her up against Graveler as both were slammed into Bastiodon's face. As the build implied, this was the only part of him that was practically invincible.

"Did they really have to show that?" Scizor groaned, "That was my most humiliating loss!" only for Graveler to laugh and reply, "Look on the bright side. At least they're acknowledging that we did technically partake in the tournament, even if it was before the first round could even start," the insect groaning, "Easy for you to say. You lost to all but one opponent after becoming a hero."

And of course, the last two to emerge were the Raging Bulls themselves, Machamp and Combusken. Both waved to the crowd with big smiles on their faces, the footage of them defeating Mew and Mewtwo being shown. Needless to say, this definitely got the crowd pumped up.

At that moment, Nori approached the two and asked, "So, how does it feel knowing Machoke will be facing off in the finals just like you did?" Machamp grinning and replying, "Well, I had no doubt he would make it that far! Though getting a different partner in every round is certainly unexpected."

Combusken did not look quite as happy about this conversation as Nori asked, "By the way, have you read this morning's newspaper? I have heard you guys on Hero Planet actually get our papers."

Combusken let out a sigh as she had, indeed, read a news report telling of how Blaziken was once again in the hospital. Needless to say, this worried her as she sighed, "Yeah. I was really looking forward to seeing my daughter compete. Heck, I wish I had time to visit her in the hospital," before replacing her glum look with a grin and adding, "But still, I'm excited to see just what Machoke will do, though I am also curious as to who he decided to replace Blaziken with."

"That is a good point," Nori stated, "It's being kept a secret until the final match starts up, but I wonder if it'll be any more surprising than him fighting alongside Aipom."

Machamp was listening to all of this when he spotted another friend of his among the crowd, namely Kirlia. As it just so happened, she had managed to get some extended vacation time to watch the final match up-close, though Ralts was not so lucky thus he could not join her.

Machamp waved at her as she waved back, Nori asking, "Oh, would you like to talk to Kirlia?" the man nodding as Combusken grinned and said, "Hey, I haven't seen the old girl in years. Count me in."

Kirlia blinked, not really expecting them to put off all of this press just to talk to her as she smiled and curtsied, saying, "Hello, you two. It's been some time, hasn't it?" Machamp nodding and saying, "You don't look like you've aged a bit," before pulling out a mirror and looking at his wrinkles, groaning, "I wish the same could be said for me."

"Hey, you still got your muscles, right?" Kirlia replied with a light giggle before asking, "So, how's Kala? You regretting your decision not to marry Keiko instead?" that last part clearly a joke as Machamp laughed and replied, "Don't you worry about us. Kala's perfectly fine."

He then cleared his throat and whispered, "Hey, not that I don't trust Machoke, but is he treating your daughter okay? She hasn't complained about him being a bad mate for her, has she? Because if he has, I can give him a lecture on successful relationships."

Kirlia laughed in response and replied, "All Gardevoir has ever told me about that is just how happy she is to have met him. They make for such an adorable couple."

Combusken nodded and suggested, "Say, we still have a couple of hours before the match. How's about we have us a little early lunch, or brunch as some would call it? After all, I'd hate to eat during the match."

"Actually, Kala wants to have lunch with me at eleven," Machamp replied, "She's gonna meet me at the concession stand," Kirlia nodding and saying, "Well, guess we'll have us a little girl time," smiling at Combusken as the two chuckled.

However, the chicken then sighed, "As nice as that sounds, I'd hate to leave the others out," before returning to the other heroes and discussing the brunch plan with them, all of them feeling more than eager. After all, it had been a while since they last met up to spend quality time with one-another.

During this time, Reika and the others were headed to the ring with the black-haired girl and Scyther holding hands, Tsuya squealing, "I'm so happy for you two! Seriously, how long did we have to wait?" Cici sighing, "You need to realize that things like this take time."

Scyther chuckled and replied, "Ja," before sighing, "Even so, I really hope Machoke can win this. You all heard about Blaziken's condition too, ja?"

Reika groaned, "To think someone would stoop to that level. And all we can assume is that Vespiquen must have done it just to lower Machoke's chances of success. After all, we did just find out she's been evil this whole time," the others nodding. And while Diancie had a similar move, not only were they unaware of her allegiance to the side of evil but they also knew that it was against tournament rules for a participant to attack another before entering the ring.

Either way, the group noticed something else as Tsuya asked, "Say, has anyone seen Gardevoir lately?" the girls shrugging as Reika said, "Now that she's out of the hospital, I thought for sure she'd be here."

However, after a few seconds, their eyes widened as they nodded, having put two-and-two together as Scyther chuckled and said, "I can't believe I didn't see it coming."

"Yeah," Reika replied, "We all thought they were gonna team up from the get-go anyway, right?" Cici nodding and saying, "I can't imagine anyone better to fight alongside Machoke for this match."

And while this went on, Machoke and Gardevoir were hard at work, doing the best they could to prepare themselves for the match. After a while, Machoke took a deep breath and asked, "You ready for this?" his girlfriend nodding and squeaking, "Yeah! We're gonna kick ass today!" before clasping her hands over her mouth, the two lovers looking at one-another before breaking out into hysterics.

Meanwhile, Hoopa was resting in the training facility while Diancie asked, "Hey, Hoopa do you think maybe we should actually train for this match? I mean, Machoke is really strong."

"Yeah, I know, but you know we don't need it," the genie replied with a smirk, "We've gotten through this whole tournament without the need for training. Trust me, we're ready for this."

Diancie nodded and replied, "Well, okay, if you say so," all the while thinking, 'He may be right anyway. After what I've done, there's no doubt we'll win.'

As it just so happened, Hoopa never read or watched news reports. As such, he was unaware of the fact that Blaziken was in the hospital. Unlike everyone else, he still fully believed that he and Diancie would face the current generation's Raging Bulls.

During this conversation, Machoke and Gardevoir truly felt ready now as Gardevoir asked, "Did you give Beedrill the new team name?" the boy nodding and saying, "I can't think of a more suitable name for us. I'm glad you thought of it," the girl giving him a sweet smile.

And soon enough, the next hour-and-a-half had passed as the bleachers were filled. The air was full of excitement as the audience was restless. They just wanted the match to start right away, but not only did they still have to wait at least ten minutes, they also knew that a speech would come first.

Scyther was seated next to Reika as she noticed Scizor seated right across from her and waved with a light smile. Seeing this, the red bug waved back but let out a light gasp when Scyther took hold of Reika's hand, showing her mother that the two had, in fact, started a relationship. Scizor was shocked for a second, but was ultimately happy for her daughter as she nodded her head in approval.

Like in the Olympics, Machamp sat in the middle row with his arms folded, only this time his human wife, Kala, sat next to him and exclaimed, "This is so exciting! We're gonna see our boy fight again! I hope he wins!" Machamp nodding and replying, "Yeah. Maybe he'll get our family's championship title back."

Kirlia, meanwhile, looked around and thought, 'I don't see Gardevoir anywhere. I wanted to watch with her.'

Riolu and Registeel sat next to each-other as Riolu said, "I wonder if Machoke's gotten better after that match with my son," Registeel nodding and adding, "I just want to see a member of the Mach family in action again. It's been too long."

Combusken nodded with her arms folded, the chicken seated behind them while Graveler sat across from her, grinning and saying, "This is so exciting. I haven't been to a tournament match in ages."

Sudowoodo was also quite interested as he said, "I just wish I could have witnessed the whole thing," Greninja and Bouffalant both nodding.

Bouffalant especially would have enjoyed seeing all of the gruesome moments he had heard about. After all, he may have been a good guy, but his love for brutality had not left him.

Beedrill soon flew into the middle of the stage and exclaimed, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE FINAL MATCH OF THE ULTIMATE WORLD TEAM TOURNAMENT!" the crowd going wild as he stated, "We have seen some amazing matches so far, but this one will decide everything! Both these teams have proven themselves more than worthy of being here, even if one particular member has had a different ally for every match so far!"

The crowd nodded as Machamp sighed, "Yeah, that seems like a cruel joke. I only had to switch partners once."

"Without further ado, what say we finally introduce the teams?" Beedrill asked as the audience went even more wild, the wasp nodding and pointing at the Western entrance, stating, "In the red corner, the one member who has consistently partaken in every match up to this point is a true hero, one that many of us adore! Not only has he saved Tokyo countless times but despite odds constantly being stacked against him, he has worked his way up to the finals! And while his originally planned partner is unfortunately in the hospital, we are certain that he has found a suitable replacement who I'm sure will be a better pick than even Aipom!"

He then pulled out a sheet of paper with their team name on it as he exclaimed, "Presenting the Glamourous Fighting Machines!"

The crowd cheered as Machoke entered but were absolutely shocked to see, of all heroes, Gardevoir following him. An epic musical score played in the background as both fighters waved to the crowd with big smiles on their faces, the cheering resuming. While the audience may have been surprised, they were also thrilled.

Kirlia gasped, a wide smile forming as he exclaimed, "OH MY GOD! WHY DIDN'T I SEE IT SOONER!?" Reika and the others nodding with their arms folded, Cici saying, "I knew it."

Though much like every other tournament Machoke partook in, he had decided not to go with an overblown entrance like he usually did. After all, he felt that this could very well be the most serious match thus he felt that a big spectacle would only ruin it.

"Wow, I did not see that coming!" Machamp exclaimed as Kala nodded and said, "Well, we've seen how good of a fighter Gardevoir is. I think he picked himself a real winner."

Beedrill seemed to agree as he stated, "I have to say, this is definitely a surprise," as Machoke and Gardevoir entered the ring, the wasp adding, "This could very well be the first time we've had an actual couple fight on the same team in a tournament."

Machoke grinned at Gardevoir as the girl nodded, feeling more confident than ever before. And while he could not show it due to his position, Beedrill was actually very excited to see how this would play out. After all, Gardevoir and Machoke had the best track record out of all four heroes stationed in Tokyo. For all he knew, this could very well be a better team-up than him and Blaziken.

Bisharp and Scrafty, who had actually recovered long ago, were also excited to see where this would go as Scrafty exclaimed, "Wow, Gardevoir and Machoke! He really did pick the perfect replacement!" Bisharp nodding and replying, "Indeed. This should be most interesting."

Even Lucario was fascinated by this as he folded his arms, Clauncher letting down light tears and sniffing, "This is so beautiful. Two lovers fighting as one."

Hoopa noticed this with confusion from the Eastern entrance, growling, "No one told me Blaziken had to be replaced! Who's responsible for this!?" Diancie biting her lower lip as the genie turned and smirked, saying, "Oh, so that's what you were doing yesterday."

The sylph was surprised by his grin as he said, "You know, you could have just told me you were planning this. Now Machoke will be even easier to defeat. I highly doubt those two have had nearly enough time to ready themselves for this."

Diancie nodded, a light smile forming. Needless to say, she was relieved that Hoopa actually approved of her underhanded tactic. After all, he mostly wanted to fight Machoke. He could not have cared less who his partner for this match was just as long as he was there.

Once the crowd calmed down, Beedrill pointed toward the Eastern entrance and stated, "In the blue corner, these two have really made it known that they mean business! So far, they have dominated major fan favourites, including Lucario and Talonflame, both of which are known for their incredible strength and resilience! With a ferocity not often seen by heroes, I bring to you the Demonic Angels!"

Many members of the crowd cheered as Diancie and Hoopa approached the ring, waving at the crowd much like Machoke and Gardevoir had. Hoopa then grinned wickedly at the boy and thought, 'Just wait. Today's the day you suffer your second defeat and Tokyo bows down to me.'

And sure enough, both fighters entered the ring as Beedrill said, "Well, the two teams are set. Anything either of you wanna say before the match," Machoke giving Hoopa a serious look and shaking his head.

"Yeah, I don't see the need for opening statements, either," Hoopa replied, "Let's just get to the match already," Beedrill shrugging and replying, "Suit yourselves."

With that, the wasp flew up toward the window where Nori sat in wait, joining her behind the desk and saying, "Well, folks, this is it! Once each team picks a member to go first, the match can begin!"


	36. Chapter 36

This was it. It was finally time for the match everyone had been waiting for, the Ultimate World Team Tournament finals. And while everyone initially wanted to see Machoke go up against Lucario, after having seen Hoopa and Diancie's skills, they were much more excited for this.

Machoke turned to Gardevoir and asked, "Hey, you've been out of the limelight since round one. You wanna go first?" the girl giving the boy a sweet smile and uttering, "I'd like that, but you've seen all three of their matches so far. I was only awake to witness one, so for all I know, I probably didn't see everything they were capable of."

Machoke nodded and replied, "You have a point there," the girl nodding back as Diancie was ready to head to the side of the ring.

However, her eyes widened with shock when Hoopa said, "Hey, Diancie, I was thinking maybe you could go first this time," the sylph turning, her cheeks bright pink as she uttered, "Me? You want me to go first?"

Needless to say, no one could believe this. After all, not only had Hoopa always gone first, but he never allowed Diancie to fight before the tornado tag portion. And there was also the fact that he was the one who wanted to face Machoke. Did this mean that he finally felt she was strong enough for this?

Whatever the case, Diancie could not have been happier as she nodded and said, "Right. I won't let you down," Hoopa floating behind the rope and giving her a thumb up, saying, "Kick his ass."

Machoke gulped and thought, 'I'm not sure who's scarier,' as Diancie encased her hands in crystal, thinking, 'Alright, Machoke, you may be tough, but so am I.'

"Well, folks, the combatants are set!" Nori exclaimed before blinking and adding, "I just realized I've never actually said that before," Beedrill nudging her as she blinked, uttering, "Right," before ringing the bell thus signalling the start of the match.

Machoke refused to allow Diancie a chance to strike. After all, while she was always on the sidelines for the first five minutes, whenever she did enter the ring, she often came off as more threatening than Hoopa, especially considering most of her signature moves could pierce human flesh.

With that in mind, the boy immediately charged at her as she readied herself to strike him. And when Machoke was close enough, Diancie threw her fist forward only for the boy to dodge to the right, sending a karate chop to the side of her head. And it did not end there as he sent a roundhouse kick to her back.

The crowd cheered as Diancie faltered forward a bit, Machoke wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up. He then bent backward and planted the back of her neck hard against the canvas, Diancie's eyes and mouth wide open as the boy allowed her to collapse.

The crowd cheered even louder as Nori exclaimed, "And with little effort, Machoke has already knocked Diancie onto her back!" the boy grunting, "That's right," flipping the sylph over and spreading himself across her back, adding, "While you may look frail and weak, I know just how strong you are. And I know that if you use that cheap Gem Growth of yours, it'll end up striking you in this position," the boy grabbing hold of her chin and pulling up, the crowd beyond ecstatic.

"Way to go, Machoke!" Gardevoir squealed as Reika breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "He really thought that through, didn't he? Maybe Hoopa would have been better off going first as usual."

However, Hoopa did not look the least bit concerned as he thought, 'Yes, that's why I picked her to go first this time, Machoke. You've only seen her take advantage of the ten second rule, so I figured you wouldn't expect me to do the same.'

With that in mind, the genie snapped his fingers as his left hand appeared behind Machoke. Gardevoir's eyes widened as Hoopa only made things worse by teleporting the horn that did not have a ring around it next to Machoke's shoulder and started to swing the ring attached to his other horn around.

"MACHOKE, LOOK OUT!" Gardevoir squeaked as the boy was about to react only for the horn to fly into his shoulder, Machoke crying out in pain as a small bit of blood squirted out.

And it only got worse when Hoopa's fist planted itself into the back of his head, the genie then shouting, "DEMONIC RING!" and flinging said object toward Machoke, the ring encased in stone as it struck the side of his face, ultimately causing him to loosen his hold on Diancie.

"And just as it looked like Machoke had this in the bag, Hoopa responds by taking full advantage of the rule that allows partners to assist for ten seconds as long as they remain outside of the ring!" Beedrill stated as Cici whimpered, "Oh no! I was hoping he wouldn't fall for that!"

Hoopa then smirked and exclaimed, "You know what to do, Diancie!" the sylph nodding and swinging her upper body around just enough to send her crystal-encrusted fist into Machoke's side, the boy coughing up blood as he fell hard on his other side, some members of the crowd cheering for Diancie.

"MACHOKE!" Gardevoir squeaked in terror as Diancie took a deep breath, rising to her feet and thinking, 'Thank you, Hoopa,' the genie nodding his head as Machoke slowly started to rise to his feet, trying his hardest to ignore the pain only for Diancie to send her elbow into the back of his neck, knocking him on his belly.

"Oh no!" Reika groaned, "Why didn't anyone see that coming!?" Keiko sighing, "Don't worry. This is Machoke we're talking about. This is just a minor setback for him, right?"

"Hey, what the hell!?" Machamp spat, "That was totally cheating!" Kala nodding and barking, "Come on, that can't be legal!"

Combusken let out a sigh and remarked, "You know that was also allowed when we fought in this event, right?" Machamp growling, "Yeah, but they should have changed the rules to forbid this."

Gardevoir whimpered, wishing she could just go in there and help Machoke right now as Diancie transformed her legs into her big diamond, floating above him and saying, "Hoopa has granted me an amazing opportunity. I will save the finishing blow for him, but I will take full advantage of the chance he has given me."

Hoopa grinned wickedly and thought, 'That's what I like to hear,' the sylph ramming her diamond into Machoke's back and shouting, "DIAMOND METEOR!" the boy coughing up even more blood as the crowd winced, Nori exclaiming, "While Diancie did apply significantly less force than usual, her Diamond Meteor still packs a serious punch!"

Gardevoir had a look of pure horror in her eyes as it did not end there, Diancie bending her upper body just low enough to take hold of Machoke's chin, pulling on it and grunting, "Let's see how you like it!" the boy crying out in agony. As if the stab to his back was not bad enough, having it bent while the sharp object was still piercing it was much worse.

"Damn," Clauncher uttered, turning to Lucario, "Even your London Bridge wasn't that deadly," the dog nodding and growling, "And just think, Machoke wouldn't even be in this mess if Hoopa hadn't interfered!"

However, as the boy felt immense pain, many members of the crowd concerned, Scyther rose up and snapped, "HEY, MACHOKE!" the boy looking up as she added, "I can imagine how much pain you must be in, but this is nothing compared to when Talonflame and I took in that same move! There's gotta be a way around this!"

Machoke blinked, now ignoring the pain as Diancie sighed, "You can give all the encouraging words you want, but they won't help him. I'm sure another twenty seconds or so should break his back, making this the shortest match in the tournament."

"Oh yeah!" Hoopa exclaimed with a wide grin, "But remember, you promised to save me the finishing blow!" Diancie nodding with a light smile as Gardevoir bit her lip, trembling.

But just as everyone was about to lose faith, Machoke planted his hands against the mat, grunting, "She's right! I can fight this!" before focusing hard enough to expand his muscles briefly. Diancie's eyes widened as he pushed himself upward into an arch, providing just enough strength to force the sylph's diamond out of his back.

The crowd went wild as Machoke leapt up to Diancie's level, taking hold of her and flipping her upside-down. Gardevoir smiled wide as the boy wrapped his arms around Diancie's diamond, his legs latched to her upper body as he exclaimed, "ULTIMATE DRIVER!"

Since he was low to the mat and Diancie had little time to respond, she was unable to avoid having her head slammed hard against the mat. The crowd was even more ecstatic now as Machoke's friends gave him a round of applause.

"You the man, Machoke!" Scrafty exclaimed, Reika adding, "Yeah, that's the kind of comeback I expect from you!"

"And while Machoke applied less force with his finishing move, much like Diancie did with hers," Nori stated, "it does not change the fact that he has escaped from her hold and countered with one of his most devastating moves."

Sure, the boy had a small hole in his back, but at the very least, he had not been pierced all the way through like every other opponent to fall victim to the Diamond Meteor. As such, he still had the energy to go on as Diancie's legs returned to normal, the sylph slowly pushing herself up with a look of disappointment.

However, Hoopa smirked and thought, 'I'm fine with this. I'd have been disappointed if he went down that easily, anyway.'

Machoke had a feeling that it might have been a bad idea to keep going and thus walked over to Gardevoir, giving her a warm smile and asking, "You think you can take it from here?" the girl nodding and replying, "Yeah. I'll make sure Diancie suffers worse pain than you did," the two giving each-other a high five.

"And after once again pulling off a miracle, Machoke has tagged in his partner," Nori stated, "Let's see if Gardevoir can make Diancie suffer even worse than Machoke did."

"YEAH, SHOW HER THE MIGHT OF BEAULIEU FAMILY!" Kirlia squealed with grin as Reika uttered, "So that's her last name. Come to think of it, I didn't think beings like you actually had surnames," turning to Scyther and adding, "I mean, every one of you has a first name that no one else has."

"Ja, our first names are uncommon, but I can assure you, we do have last names," Scyther replied, "In fact, my last name is Adler," Tsuya staring silently and uttering, "I'm no German expert, but doesn't that mean 'eagle'?"

Whatever the case, this hardly mattered as Gardevoir wasted no time leaping toward Diancie with her arm out, shouting, "MOON HOOK!" the sylph having no time to react as she took the hard blow to her neck, her eyes and mouth wide open as she fell on her back.

The crowd cheered as Gardevoir used this opportunity to plant both of her feet into Diancie's chest, leaping away from her while performing a vertical flip backwards, landing on her feet. After all, she could not risk staying near the sylph for too long.

"And with only two hits, Gardevoir has already made up for the damage dealt to Machoke earlier," Nori stated as Machoke exclaimed, "WAY TO GO, HONEY!"

As Diancie rose to her feet, she was ready to retaliate when Hoopa said, "Hold on," holding out his hand and saying, "You've done a fine job, Diancie, but I want a crack at this."

The sylph turned to him with a look of disappointment. She had really hoped to do more for him, but she was also glad that she had been given a chance. As such, she headed toward him and tagged him in, the genie switching places with her.

"While it is surprising that Diancie went first, I guess Hoopa just couldn't stay out of the ring until the tornado tag portion," Nori stated as Beedrill added, "Let's see if he can bring the advantage back to his team."

All the while, Smeargle and Florges were watching this in the hospital as Smeargle clapped and exclaimed, "Tres magnifique, Gardevoir! Just what I would expect from someone as strong as her!" Florges nodding and sighing, "Oui. It looked close there, but she really helped turn things around."

However, both turned toward Masquerain when they noticed movement from her again, the butterfly pointing at Diancie on the screen. However, her friends once again failed to understand what she was trying to communicate as Florges nodded and said, "Oui, Gardevoir is amazing, non?" Masquerain wanting so badly to tell them what she was thinking, a light tear forming in her right eye.

Hoopa cracked his knuckles and said, "Well, Gardevoir, you did an alright job hurting my ally like that, but I can assure you, I won't be so easy," Gardevoir nodding as she raced toward the genie.

Hoopa threw his fist at her when she was close enough only for the girl to block it with her palms, placing a firm grip against the hand. Just as the crowd was about to cheer, their excitement turned to confusion when Gardevoir swung her arm around, releasing her hold on the hand.

Unfortunately, while the hand flew a small ways away from her, she gasped when she noticed Hoopa's body did not join it. It was then that the reason Gardevoir had attempted this dawned on her friends as they groaned, Reika sighing, "Of course, she wasn't here when Hoopa revealed how his arms work! She must have thought his body was bound to them or something!"

The genie snickered as the hand turned around, balled up into a fist and rammed itself hard into the spellbound Gardevoir's gut, the girl wincing. And it only got worse when Hoopa floated over to her, latching onto her right wrist from behind. Once Hoopa's left hand returned to his side, he bound that one to the respective wrist of his opponent and lifted her up over his head, planting her skull hard into the canvas while his fans cheered, the rest of the audience groaning.

"This does not look good for Gardevoir," Nori stated, "Unfortunately, it seems Gardevoir is unaware of how Hoopa's hands work in relation to his body and thus was probably expecting the rest of him to move with the hand."

Machoke's eyes widened as he thought, 'Dammit, that completely slipped my mind! I should have told her about that!' Gardevoir rubbing her head with one hand while using the other to push herself up, turning and noticing Machoke's look. She could tell exactly what he was thinking and thus gave him a sweet smile.

"It's okay, Machoke," she said as the boy blinked, the girl nodding and adding, "That didn't do all that much damage to me and now I know how his hands work, so it's all good."

Machoke gave her a light smile only for that to turn to fear when suddenly, Gardevoir was cut off when Hoopa placed a firm grip against her neck, smirking and saying, "You may know how my hands work now, but turning your back to me certainly isn't gonna help you take advantage of that!"

"GARDEVOIR, FIGHT IT!" Machoke spat as the girl placed a firm grip against the hand, trying to pry its fingers off but to no avail as Hoopa lifted her up, planting her back against the canvas with a choke slam while his fans once again cheered.

"Gardevoir did a good job against Diancie, but these two mistakes are certainly making it hard for her to land so much as a hit on Hoopa," Nori explained as Reika gritted her teeth, growling, "Come on, Gardevoir. You're better than this."

Gardevoir knew this to be true as Hoopa floated over her with his fists at the ready. But just as he was about to send an onslaught like when he fought the Bouncing Biceps, the girl was ready as she rested her arms firmly against the mat, lifting her lower body as she planted both feet hard into his chin.

Hoopa's eyes were wide, his teeth gritted as he flew up into the air, the crowd cheering as Gardevoir propelled herself up, Machoke's eyes and mouth wide in amazement as she proceeded to latch her ankles around the genie's neck, taking hold of his tail and shouting, "METEOR WARHEAD!" planting his head hard into the mat.

Reika rose her fist in the air, shouting, "YOU ROCK, GARDEVOIR!" Hoopa collapsing as Kirlia nodded, saying, "That was so cool," stars in her eyes as she added, "That reminds me of the glory days, pulling out comebacks like that."

"That was absolutely brilliant," Lucario said, nodding his head as Clauncher said, "Yeah, she came up with a new signature move without even trying. It was cool when Machoke came up with two finishers on his own, but he didn't think of them on the spot, right?"

"Gardevoir, that was amazing!" Machoke exclaimed as the girl blushed lightly, a smile forming as she squealed, "I know, right!? I can't believe I came up with a stronger version of my Meteor Bomb!" the crowd equally impressed as Nori stated, "It's just as Gardevoir said. She just thought up an upgrade for her very first slam move just like that."

Diancie gasped at the sight of this and squeaked, "Are you okay!?" the genie slowly pushing himself up and sighing, "Come on, you know I can take more than that. This was but a minor setback."

"Yeah, you're right," Diancie replied with a light smile, "I should know better," the genie nodding and remarking, "Yeah, you should," before rolling his eyes and turning back to Gardevoir.

With only a little less than a minute before the tornado tag portion, he knew he would need to at least do something before Machoke joined the fight and thus headed toward Gardevoir, the girl holding up her arms defensively. However, he saw this coming as he sent one punch into her arms while sending his other fist sideways into her side, the girl wincing. But just as her friends were about to worry, she ignored the pain and threw her arms out, forcing Hoopa's fist away from her before sending both palms into his face.

The crowd cheered as Nori said, "Hoopa was doing amazing against Gardevoir before, but now she's managed to whip out another counter," the genie backing up as Beedrill added, "It's also worth note that five minutes have passed now."

Nori nodded and replied, "You are absolutely right," before ringing the bell, signalling the tornado tag portion as Machoke leapt over the ropes to join his girlfriend, Diancie doing the same while Hoopa rubbed his face. Not only had the move caught him off-guard, but he could not believe just how strong that had been. He knew that Gardevoir was tougher than she looked, but not that much tougher.

"Great job, sweetie," Machoke said with a grin as he patted her on the shoulder, Diancie looking at Hoopa with concern as the genie smirked and said, "This is another minor setback. Now that we're working together, we can win this."

Diancie nodded with a light smile as Machoke turned to Gardevoir, asking, "You ready for a team move?" the girl nodding as the boy leapt atop her hands. Gardevoir then proceeded to propel him up into the air as he flew toward both opponents with his legs out.

However, Hoopa saw this coming as he said, "Now," sending his hands forward while Diancie followed suit, each one grabbing into a separate foot.

Machoke's eyes widened as the two threw him downward. But just as he was about to hit the mat, Gardevoir sprinted over and took hold of the boy's shoulders, stopping his descent as she winced slightly from the force of the parts she had grabbed pushing down on her hands. Luckily, due to all the strength she had acquired since she merged with her power, she was able to handle it as a light smile formed on her face, Machoke grinning and asking, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The crowd cheered wildly as Gardevoir proceeded to lift Machoke high above her head, Diancie coming up with him due to her still holding onto his foot as Hoopa's hands were still latched to the other. The genie was just about to return them only for Gardevoir to lean back, Machoke's foot headed toward the mat as Diancie was soon slammed into that very spot, gritting her teeth from the pain while the back of Hoopa's hands made contact as well, the crow cheering wildly.

"And just as it seemed Machoke and Gardevoir's original plan failed, the Glamourous Fighting Machines respond with a much more impressive counter, the likes of which I've never seen!" Nori squealed as Machoke's friends were beyond ecstatic.

Hoopa gritted his teeth not just in response to the pain to his hands but also due to annoyance as he spat, "As if I'd let you get away with that!" having said parts apply a firm grip to Machoke's foot and pull on it, trapping the boy in place as he struggled to move, trying his hardest to shake them off.

Gardevoir gasped and knelt down to try prying the hands off only for Hoopa to swing his ring around, shouting, "DEMONIC HORN!" flinging the item into Gardevoir's back while spikes sprouted from it.

The girl cried out in pain as a small cut formed, a bit of blood flying out while Diancie rose to her feet. Seeing a big advantage here, the sylph wasted no time sending her crystal-encrusted fists into Machoke's face, blood coming from his nostrils as his friends gasped.

Diancie's fans cheered as she proceeded to leap on top of him, knocking him on his back as Hoopa finally retracted his hands, saying, "Excellent work," Diancie nodding before lifting up her arms, cupping her hands together and shouting, "DIAMOND GAVEL!" sending them hard into the boy's face.

Gardevoir gasped, "MACHOKE!" but just as she was about to help, Hoopa floated behind her and latched his hands onto her sides, lifting her up and leaning backward, planting her head hard into the mat.

While the Demonic Angels' fanbase was happy, everyone else was beyond concerned now as Nori stated, "While that counter was certainly effective, it is nothing compared to the might of Diancie's diamond material and Hoopa's ability to shock and amaze. Can the Glamourous Fighting Machines get out of this one?" a part of her really hoping they would. After all, this was Machoke and he had a knack for that sort of thing.


	37. Chapter 37

Machoke and Gardevoir seemed to be in a real predicament now as Diancie sent a barrage of punches into Machoke's face. All the while, after having knocked Gardevoir to the mat, Hoopa was pulling up on her chin with a smirk on his face, the girl trying her best to overcome this.

Golduck was watching this from her bed in the hospital, gritting her teeth and growling, "Come on, Machoke, fight it!" Talonflame having recovered just enough to see this, the falcon gritting his teeth and cursing, "Dammit! Why don't I have the strength to get up yet!? I should be there!"

And needless to say, Smeargle was worried as well as he groaned, "Oh, I hope Gardevoir can fight that," Florges replying, "I'm certain she can. Remember, she took in a lot before falling to you," the beagle nodding as Masquerain stared at the screen, glaring angrily at the sight of Diancie dominating. If only she could move and talk, she could have the sylph disqualified and all of this would end.

However, after taking in twenty punches to the face, Machoke gritted his teeth and grunted, "No!" holding up his hands and taking hold of both fists, Diancie gasping in shock.

Sure, the added strength of the crystal coating caused Machoke's hands a bit of pain from blocking this, but he managed to ignore this as he grunted, "I'm not gonna let you walk all over us!"

Before Hoopa could figure out what was going on, Machoke proceeded to lift up Diancie before hurling her into the genie. Hoopa's eyes widened as a result as he fell on his side, Diancie landing on top of him as he winced, Gardevoir breathing a sigh of relief while the crowd cheered.

"And as is expected, Machoke counters Diancie's onslaught," Nori stated as Beedrill nodded and said, "Leave it to a member of the Mach family to get out of a situation like that."

"Damn straight!" Machamp exclaimed with a grin as Kala chuckled, "Just like his father," smiling at the man.

Machoke approached Gardevoir and asked, "You okay?" reaching his hand toward her as she nodded and took hold of it, the boy helping her back up. However, it seemed things would not be easy for them yet as Diancie rose to her feet, uttering, "Sorry, Hoopa," the genie grunting, "It's fine, okay?" getting up and smirking at Machoke.

"Why's he smiling like that?" Machoke uttered as Gardevoir scowled at Hoopa, the genie thinking, 'Yeah, just keep pulling out surprises like that. It'll make your defeat much more satisfying.'

While Machoke did not like the look, Gardevoir turned to him and said, "Come on, Machoke, you're used to that kind of look from opponents by now. He's just trying to scare you," the boy nodding and replying, "Right," before grinning and adding, "Come on, let's give them another taste of teamwork."

Gardevoir nodded as she and Machoke charged toward their opponents. After all, they knew how annoying these two could be when given enough time to act.

But as the heroes got closer, the Demonic Angels seemed more than ready for this as Hoopa held up his fists, ready to strike Machoke with Diancie readying her waist gems. However, it seemed as if their countermeasures would be rendered meaningless when this time, Gardevoir leapt atop Machoke's shoulders, the crowd confused when she leapt off of them and landed behind Diancie.

Before the sylph could even figure out what was going on, Gardevoir proceeded to send both of her palms hard into the back of her head while Machoke sent a kick to Hoopa's side, the Demonic Angels grunting from the pain. And it did not stop with that as Machoke took hold of the Genie's horn, Gardevoir grabbing onto Diancie's wrist.

The duo then proceeded to swing the Demonic Angels around before releasing their hold, forcing them to collide with each-other while the crowd cheered. And their excitement only got higher when Machoke and Gardevoir leapt at their opponents with their arms out, shouting, "ECLIPSE HOOK!" ramming both arms into Hoopa and Diancie's necks.

This caused each to cough up just a little bit of blood as Gardevoir and Machoke nodded at one-another, each one using this as a perfect opportunity to latch onto a respective opponent. Both leapt high above the ring, Machoke keeping Hoopa's hands trapped in place so he could not counter.

"Are they setting up for the move I think they are!?" Nori asked with excitement in her eyes, Beedrill nodding and replying, "Looks like it!" as Machoke spread out Hoopa's arms, latching his ankles around his neck while Gardevoir had leapt high enough to position herself above Machoke's head, binding her arms to Diancie's legs and her ankles around her neck, resting the sylph's head up against Hoopa's tail.

The Demonic Angels probably could have escaped from this by now, but both were still feeling a tad winded from the Eclipse Hook and thus were unable to respond when Machoke and Gardevoir exclaimed, "MUSCLE COFFIN!" ramming Hoopa's head hard into the mat while Diancie had more pressure applied to hers thus taking in more pain.

Both Demonic Angels were stunned, their eyes and mouths side open as the Glamourous Fighting Machines allowed them to collapse, big smiles on their faces as they looked at one-another. With that, the two gave each-other a high five as Nori exclaimed, "And it seems we were right! Hoopa and Diancie have just fallen victim to that amazing team move thought up by the Raging Bulls back in the day!" the woman then starting the ten count.

Reika threw her arms up into the air and exclaimed, "ALRIGHT! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Scyther nodding and saying, "Ja, that was a good comeback," Lucario smiling as Clauncher said, "That was even cooler the second time."

Machamp and Kirlia both grinned with pride, happy to see their kids pull off such a good combination like that. But at the same time, they had a feeling this was not the end.

And it seemed so as Diancie slowly shifted her hand, her eyes slowly opening as she gritted her teeth. However, Gardevoir immediately spotted this and tapped Machoke on the shoulder, both nodding as they knew what was coming.

And it seemed their intuition was correct when a gem shot out of the mat under each of them, the two leaping to the side just in time. It seemed Diancie was prepared for this as she had another gem appear right behind each one, their backs slamming up against the material as they winced from the collision.

And it did not end there as Diancie had another gem form underneath each fighter, sending them flying above the ring as Nori stated, "And just as it seemed someone had finally avoided Diancie's Gem Growth, is would seem as if she already knew that was coming," the sylph rising to her feet and leaping up to their level, grunting, "I won't let you win! Hoopa's been waiting for this and I'm gonna help him achieve his goal to the bitter end!"

Hoopa slowly recovered shortly afterwards, blinking before a grin formed on his face, the genie thinking, 'Oh, Diancie, you are such a valuable tool,' the sylph reaching the level of the Fighting Machines. But rather than setting them up for Diamond Hammer, the weaker version of her Gavel technique, it seemed she had more planned as she transformed her legs into the diamond and tilted herself backward so her front side was facing each fighter's back.

The crowd gasped as she exclaimed, "DIAMOND STORM!" her necklace glowing as multiple diamonds shot in and out of said spot like fists, buffeting both fighters hard in the very spot she was facing. Machoke and Gardevoir coughed up blood while Reika spat, "OH, COME ON!"

And it did not end there as after delivering thirty strikes, Diancie allowed them to fall as she latched one arm around each hero's neck, encasing her hands in crystal. And with that, she leaned backward until all three heads were pointed upside-down, her legs returning to normal as she shouted, "FALLING STARS!" slamming Machoke and Gardevoir hard against the canvas.

Both coughed up blood and collapsed as Diancie released her hold on them, breathing heavily while her fans cheered, Hoopa sporting the biggest grin as he exclaimed, "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Cici whimpered as Tsuya uttered, "That's not it, is it? I mean, they can get up from that, right?" Reika nodding and replying, "Of course. They've dealt with worse."

Keiko had full confidence as Nori started the ten count, but just as she was about to go past two, Hoopa lifted up Machoke and said, "Hold it, lady. I wanna be the one to deal the finishing blow to this guy," Diancie biting her lower lip while thinking, 'Wouldn't it be better to just take the ten count now?'

But naturally, she did not say this out loud as she knew better than to question Hoopa's plans. After all, his happiness was the more important thing to her.

Seeing this on screen, Smeargle and Florges were concerned, but most of all, Masquerain actually managed a look of anger as she pointed forward, grunting, "Dia-" in a tone of voice that made her sound crazy.

Her friends turned as Florges gasped, "Incroyable! You just spoke!" Smeargle nodding and replying, "Oui! It seems your recovery is happening more quickly than one would expect!"

The butterfly hardly cared about their words right now as she wailed, "Diancie! Hoopa! Diancie, Hoopa! Cheat!"

The two turned to the screen as Hoopa had Machoke flipped upside-down, the boy now set up for a piledriver as Florges' eyes widened, the flower girl exclaiming, "Bien sur!" before turning back to Masquerain and asking, "Are you saying they're the ones who sabotaged us?"

The butterfly nodded weakly as Florges frowned and grunted, "It should have been obvious," Smeargle nodding as Masquerain pointed at the side of her head while using her other finger hand to point at the screen, Florges gasping, "You mean Diancie was the one who gave you brain damage!?"

The butterfly nodded once again as Smeargle and Florges both nodded at one-another, rising up from their seats. If they acted fast, they could very well make it to the Tokyo Dome and expose the Demonic Angels before it was too late.

Smeargle bowed his head to Masquerain and said, "Merci beaucoup. That must have been hard to communicate," Florges nodding and sighing, "Pardon. You were right about them this whole time."

Masquerain seemed to be okay with this as she managed to imply a weak smile with her face, but due to her condition, it was a miracle she could even show this much emotion. Perhaps she could very well recover from her state more quickly than Greninja had.

And just as the two took off, Hoopa had managed to land his piledriver as Machoke collapsed once more, the genie smirking and saying, "Alright, lady, now you can start the ten count," Nori nodding and doing just that as Beedrill stated, "And much like the last three rounds, the Demonic Angels escape from possible defeat with the help of Diancie's Gem Growth. This could be it, folks," Hoopa grinning with pride while Diancie smiled softly.

She thought for sure that him trying to get the last hit in would give at least one member of the Glamourous Fighting Machines a chance to recover, but it would seem her assumption was incorrect. If anything, all this really did was reduce the odds of Machoke recovering.

"COME ON, GET UP!" Reika spat as the others joined in, chanting Machoke and Gardevoir's names as Nori reached seven, Hoopa breaking out into hysterics and exclaiming, "What a bunch of morons!"

However, his smile turned to a look of confusion when Nori stopped at nine, the genie blinking and uttering, "Hey, why'd you stop counting?" the crowd truly amazed as Gardevoir had managed to recover, the girl slowly rising to her feet with a serious look on her face, many deep breaths escaping her mouth.

Diancie bit her lower lip as Hoopa slowly turned, staring at the girl while Nori stated, "It was yet another close call for Machoke, but since his partner is still standing, the match can continue!"

The crowd cheered as Reika uttered, "I hope this doesn't go the same route as round two. If Machoke doesn't get up soon, Gardevoir could still be in trouble," Scyther nodding and replying, "To be fair, she is at least a better fighter than Golduck. She could possibly keep these two at bay long enough for Machoke to recover."

"I really hope so," Tsuya groaned, "At the very least, I'd hate to see Machoke of all heroes go down this quickly."

Gardevoir seemed to feel very confident as she scowled at Hoopa, saying, "Don't forget that Machoke isn't the only member of this team. If you want to win this match, you'll have to defeat both of us."

The genie's annoyance turned to a smug grin as he remarked, "You should have stayed down. At least then, you could have been spared further pain," Diancie nodding and adding, "You did a good job when the match was one-on-one, but now you're facing both of us at once. If you forfeit right now, we won't blame you."

"I'd be a little disappointed, but yeah, that would be the better option," Hoopa replied as Lucario smirked and stated, "These two have no idea what Gardevoir is capable of," he and Talonflame having been there when she unleashed her new power in the Reverse World and used it to keep Aegislash and Blitzle at bay.

Gardevoir remembered that as well as she took a deep breath, a violet aura surrounding her hands as Hoopa rose an eyebrow, saying, "There's that thing she did during her match with Vespiquen and Smeargle. What is that again?" Diancie replying, "I don't know, but it did give her a slight edge against Smeargle. We might need to be careful."

"Please, caution's for weaklings!" Hoopa remarked as he flung his horn ring toward Gardevoir, exclaiming, "DEMONIC RING!" said object now covered in stone.

However, not only did Gardevoir see it coming, she managed to hold her hand out just in time to grab it. Normally, the speed of the ring would have at least had some sort of effect on her, but thanks to her power, she was able to pull this off with no repercussions.

Hoopa's eyes widened as the girl leapt toward him, twirling her body around before striking his cheek with the ring, his head forced to the side. Diancie tried to help out with crystal-encrusted hands only for Gardevoir to release her hold on the ring, grabbing the sylph's wrist and lifting her up over her head, leaning sideways and slamming the side of her head into the mat.

The crowd went wild as Hoopa sent his hands toward Gardevoir only for the girl to take hold of both hands, forming fists with them and turning them around, forcing both into the genie's face. And with Hoopa distracted and Diancie still recovering from the slam earlier, Gardevoir proceeded to latch onto the genie's head and leap high above the ring.

"And it seems like Gardevoir has her opponent set up for that amazing finisher that started her success here on Earth!" Nori exclaimed as Gardevoir flipped Hoopa over, aiming his head toward Diancie's side, her legs drifting upward as she exclaimed, "METEOR BOMB!" the girl descending toward the mat and slamming her opponent hard into his own ally.

Diancie coughed up blood as Hoopa winced from the pain, Gardevoir releasing her hold and allowing the genie to collapse, the crowd going wild. Needless to say, the girl's friends were ecstatic as Reika exclaimed, "OH MY GOD, THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Kirlia nodded and said, "Good job, Gardevoir. Psyla's training has helped you greatly. If only she could be here to witness this."

And it did not end there as Gardevoir took full advantage of the fact that the Demonic Angels were on their backs and right next to each-other, leaping high into the air before sending a knee into each one's gut. And she had even more planned as she used one hand to deliver an onslaught of palm punches to each fighter's face.

Thanks to her power, this was enough to draw blood from the Demonic Angels as the crowd cheered heavily, Clauncher saying, "You were right, Lucario. She's amazing," Gardevoir all the while thinking, 'Alright, I don't have much time until the power wears off. Hopefully this is good enough.'

However, Machoke had still not recovered as Reika groaned, "Oh god! Gardevoir's doing an amazing job, but a single fighter in a team tournament can only keep this up for so long."

And it seemed this was truly the case as Hoopa grunted, trying his best to ignore the pain to his face as he threw his hands forward, taking hold of Gardevoir's arm. And to add to that, Diancie held her crystal-encrusted hands in front of her face, blocking the hand that the girl used on her earlier. And thanks to the hard casing, this was just enough to negate the strike as she also took hold of the arm attached to that hand.

Gardevoir's eyes went wide as both combined their efforts to throw her back, planting her skull into the canvas. While Hoopa and Diancie's fans were happy to see this, Gardevoir's friends and fans were mostly surprised. After all, this power of hers made it very difficult for any opponent to overpower her, especially with such a simple counter.

Either way, this seemed to give the Demonic Angels their edge back as Gardevoir tried to get up only for Hoopa to latch his hands around her neck, pulling hard while Diancie sent both of her fists into the girl's gut.

"And just like that, the Demonic Angels get the advantage back!" Nori exclaimed as Gardevoir gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain and barking, "No! I won't let you win!" but just as she took hold of Hoopa's hands in an attempt to pry them off, the violet glow vanished as her eyes widened, the pain to her neck becoming worse as a result as she started to gag.

"Aw, come on!" Reika spat, "Of all the times!" Lucario now concerned as Cici whimpered. If Machoke did not get up soon, it really would be over.

And it only got worse when Hoopa smirked, saying, "Alright, Diancie, I got her trapped. That little upgrade of hers has worn off, so what say we have a little fun?"

"Of course," Diancie replied as she once again fired multiple diamonds from her necklace, shouting, "DIAMOND STORM!" striking Gardevoir multiple times in the gut as she coughed up blood, now even Diancie's fans feeling sorry for the green and white girl.

But just as it looked like Gardevoir would suffer defeat, Machoke gritted his teeth, finally opening his eyes as he planted his hands against the mat. But rather than rising to his feet, he pushed himself up, performing a handstand as the crowd gasped, Hoopa's eyes widening as he was could see this, Diancie's back still turned to the boy.

"Hey, Diancie, stop your attack and turn around!" Hoopa spat as the sylph blinked, bringing her onslaught to a halt.

But before she could do the other thing Hoopa suggested, Machoke propelled himself toward her and latched his legs around her neck. He then leaned backward and placed his hands firmly against the mat one more time, throwing his legs back thus lifting Diancie over his head and slamming her face hard into the canvas.

The crowd went wild as Hoopa swung his horn ring around. But just as the genie was about to send it toward Machoke, the boy ended up racing toward him too quickly with his elbow out as he planted it hard into Hoopa's face, knocking him on his back. His hands were still bound to Gardevoir, though, and thus Machoke sent a hard punch into the back of each of them thus causing them to release their hold and return to their owner.

The crowd cheered even louder as Reika sighed, "Does he always have to cut it so close?" Keiko chuckling and replying, "Well, it certainly makes his matches more interesting."

Gardevoir smiled weakly and uttered, "Thank you so much, Machoke," the boy nodding with a warm smile only for Diancie to growl, refusing to let the couple keep this advantage.

As such, she placed her hands against the mat, shouting, "GEM GROWTH!" sending two gems up from under Machoke and sending him high into the air, shouting, "JUST STAY DOWN!" Hoopa snapping his fingers and saying, "Thanks," teleporting his waist ring high above the mat.

Everyone knew what was coming as they gasped, Nori saying, "And just as quickly as Machoke got the upper hand back, he and Gardevoir seem to have lost it," Hoopa hurling his horn ring under Gardevoir, the girl completely unprepared as she was sucked in.

But since Hoopa wanted to defeat Machoke, Diancie leapt toward Gardevoir when she emerged from the top ring, setting her up for a piledriver while Hoopa floated up to Machoke, flipping him upside-down as well. He then grinned at Diancie and said, "Thanks for being so obedient," the sylph blinking but thinking little of it, both shouting, "HYPERSPACE HOLE!" slamming the Glamourous Fighting Machines head-first into the canvas.

All went silent as both Gardevoir and Machoke were out cold, Reika uttering, "No," the others staring in stunned silence.

Even Machamp was unsure whether or not his son could pull off another miracle, at least in time for the ten count. After all, it had taken him a rather long time to recover before, so if anything, he would need at least a few minutes to get up from that.

With that, Nori stated, "And once again, Diancie's gem growth turns things in favour of the Demonic Angels. How can the Glamourous Fighting Machines possibly get out of this?" Hoopa retorting, "Hey, how about you start the count so that can't happen!?"

Nori's eyes widened as she nodded and squeaked, "Right!" before starting the ten count, Beedrill sighing and thinking, 'Well, it looks like you might lose again, Machoke. Well, at least he's yet to lose to a villain.'

But just as Nori was about to count to six, a familiar French voice exclaimed, "ATTENDEZ!" everyone turning to see Florges and Smeargle right by the entrance, both breathing heavily as Smeargle stated, "Stop the count! These two deserve to be disqualified and we have reasons!"

The people all stared in shock as Beedrill asked, "What are you talking about?" Hoopa's eyes twitching as he glared at Smeargle, reiterating in a much more annoyed tone, "Yeah, what are you talking about?" before thinking, 'Don't tell me he found out that Vespiquen was working for us.'

That was not the case, but he and Florges still had incriminating facts as Smeargle stated, "Masquerain has regained enough movement to let us know what these two have done since the Ultimate World Team Tournament started!" Lucario now interested as he said, "Well, what do you know? I may have actually been right about those two," Clauncher's eyes wide with shock.

Hoopa smirked and said, "These two are obviously making up bullshit so their friend, Gardevoir, can win, but alright, let's hear these crackpot theories of yours," Diancie biting her lower lip, sweat pouring down her face now as she was clearly nowhere near as confident as Hoopa.

"Yes, do tell," Beedrill uttered, trying to ignore how rude Hoopa was being as Smeargle pointed at the genie, saying, "First of all, he was the reason Florges fell off the cliff during the wall climbing race. He used his Demonic Ring to knock her and Masquerain off of the side, and we can't help but think he probably did that to some of the other teams that fell off. Since his ring is so fast, it only makes sense that no one noticed."

Hoopa laughed and retorted, "That's way too convenient!" as Florges remarked, "Can it! You also had Diancie put her in the hospital for brain damage, didn't you!?"

Diancie trembled as Keiko uttered, "As much as I want to believe that, this does seem too convenient," Cici pointing at Diancie and uttering, "Wait, look."

When the others saw it, that look of guilt on the sylph's face, there was no doubt in their minds that Florges and Smeargle were telling the truth. But would everyone else realize it?

Unfortunately, it seemed this was not the case as Beedrill sighed, "While your theories do indeed make sense, there's no proof. Unfortunately, all of the footage we took of Hoopa shows him doing no such thing. Plus, the one who attacked Masquerain was never found. How do you know it was her specifically? It easily could have been Ditto seeing as he copied my stingers."

The crowd seemed to agree as some even saw Smeargle and Florges as nothing more than Gardevoir fans who just wanted her to win, be if by default or not. However, just as the beagle and flower girl were starting to lose faith, Diancie gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyelids, exclaiming, "They're telling the truth!"

The crowd gasped as the sylph added, "Yes, it's true! Hoopa and I cheated during the wall climbing race! Though it wasn't so we could succeed but because Hoopa wanted Machoke to make it to the fighting portion so he could publicly defeat him!" the genie laughing nervously and growling, "What are you doing, Diancie!?"

"Wait, you mean you two violated the 'no attacking other heroes' rule?" Beedrill retorted as the sylph nodded and added, "And that's not the only thing we've done," Reika, Cici and Tsuya staring in shock as Machoke and Gardevoir started to move, a look of anger on the boy's face.

"Just like you suspected, I was the one who put Masquerain in the hospital," Diancie explained as the crowd could not believe what they were hearing, the sylph adding, "She knew our secret and we couldn't let her report us to the staff, so I made sure that she wouldn't be able to until the tournament was over. We didn't know about Ditto having snuck in with his sister, but the fact that he was posing as you, Beedrill, made it easier for us as everyone was quick to assume he was the one responsible."

Panic spread among the crowd as Hoopa growled, "Shut the hell up!" Diancie ignoring him and adding, "I also violated the rule that forbids participants from fighting the competition outside of the ring! I was the one who injured Blaziken yesterday, not Vespiquen!" the crowd truly shocked, Diancie's fans now ashamed of themselves for ever supporting her. Some who had bought clothing related to her even tried to cover up the fact that they had ever done it in the first place, which was easy for those who only bought headbands and bracelets but no so easy for those who bought T-shirts with Diancie's face.

Hoopa gritted his teeth as Beedrill asked, "Why would you do that? It's not like your opponents were villains," Diancie about to say it when Hoopa smirked and let out a low chuckle, that chuckle soon expanding into a big maniacal laugh, the genie shouting, "Wow! What a stupid question! And the award for dumbest question goes to the chairman of Hero Planet!"

Everyone was shocked as the genie sighed, "I was going to reveal this after our victory was confirmed, but it's too late now! Diancie and I are evil!" the crowd gasping as Lucario gritted his teeth, growling, "I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with those two."

Hoopa folded his hands and added, "And also, Vespiquen was working for me! Our plan is to take down the strongest heroes in this tournament and prove that villainy deserves to reign supreme! Once this was all over, you were to bow down to us and accept us as your new leaders! Even if Beedrill disqualifies us, it won't change the fact that we have defeated the only heroes in this tournament who could possibly stop us!"

No one even knew how to react to this. Even Beedrill was frightened as the genie had a point. The wasp could just as easily disqualify the Demonic Angels for breaking three major rules, but would it really make that much of a difference?

However, his fear turned to hope when Gardevoir and Machoke slowly rose to their feet, breathing heavily as Hoopa's eyes widened, the genie turning around as Diancie looked down with shame. Hoopa then turned to her and snapped, "Hey, Earth to Diancie! Our opponents are up!"

The crowd cheered wildly as Diancie refused to respond to this, Machoke gritting his teeth and saying, "I would have eventually accepted a loss to you before, but now that I know you're evil, I can't let you walk out of this ring!" Gardevoir nodding as the crowd cheered even louder.

"And as is expected, Machoke refuses to take a free victory and would much rather defeat these two villains here and now," Beedrill stated, all the while thinking, 'Yep, I do know you too well, Machoke. Every time a villain sneaks into a tournament, you'd much rather fight to the bitter end than let them be disqualified so they can fight another day.'

"Well, this is fine," Hoopa stated with a grin, "We knocked you out twice already and we can do it again, right, Diancie?" before turning to her and noticing the sylph glaring at him, the genie sighing, "Look, I forgive you for exposing our secret. Hey, we still got away with it."

However, even the audience seemed rather confused as Diancie did not wish to go along with Hoopa's plan anymore, but why? What had changed her mind and would this mean that Hoopa was doomed to lose in the end?


	38. Chapter 38

While Hoopa was glad that he would not be disqualified from the match and would still get his chance to defeat Machoke, he looked rather annoyed when he noticed Diancie did not seem nearly as ready to continue. With this in mind, the genie waved his hand in front of her face, exclaiming, "Hey, Earth to Diancie! The match is still going on! We haven't lost!"

"We should just give up right now," the sylph murmured as the genie blinked, remarking, "What?" Diancie turning to him with a look of concern and reiterating, "We should give up right now."

The crowd gasped, Machoke just as surprised to hear that as they were while the sylph continued, "Hoopa, we've gone too far. If you just want to live in Tokyo and have respect from people, you don't need to do it by scaring them. We don't have to carry on this life of evil. We can join the heroes and help protect peace."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Hoopa retorted, "Did that blow to the head earlier scramble your brain?" tears forming in Diancie's eyes as she retorted, "No one was supposed to know our secret until the match was over, but now that they know, there's a chance we could spend our lives in prison if Machoke and Gardevoir defeat us! My biggest shame is that I didn't see it sooner! I should have known this wouldn't last long enough!"

"Wait, you mean she didn't realize that before?" Machoke uttered as Gardevoir blinked, asking, "You know, Diancie. You don't seem evil at all. Why did you try and help Hoopa achieve his goal of enslaving humanity?"

Diancie let out a sigh and was about to respond only for Hoopa to cut in, sighing, "It's because you're a pushover, right, Diancie?" the sylph staring wide-eyed as the genie smirked and continued, "I don't know exactly why, but this girl here has been attracted to me ever since the day we first met."

"Wait, you knew about that!?" Diancie squeaked, covering up her mouth as Lucario shrugged and replied, "I had my suspicions," Reika nodding and adding, "Yeah, you didn't really hide it that well."

"Exactly," Hoopa replied as he remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday.

As it so happened, Hoopa used to be trapped in an oil lamp like most genies were. But that would all change when a certain sylph discovered his lamp being sold at a local Arabian market, her eyes sparkling as she wasted no time purchasing it.

When she brought the lamp home, she noticed it was rather dusty and decided to give it a wipe, bringing out a damp cloth and using that to clean it. But as she did so, just like the legends said, this was all it took for Hoopa to emerge.

The genie stared at the sylph and blinked, Diancie's eyes widening as he cleared his throat, grinning and saying, "Hey there, little lady. You are quite lucky to have discovered me, Hoopa, the genie of the lamp!" waving his hands around in a circle above his head.

Something about him seemed perfect to Diancie. Her cheeks were bright pink as she gazed up at him, Hoopa grinning and thinking, 'Perfect,' before stating, "For awakening me, I will grant you one wish."

"Wait, isn't it supposed to be three?" Diancie asked as Hoopa remarked, "You'd think that, but no, you are only allowed one wish."

Now the sylph was really stumped as she uttered, "Wow, that's a hard one," as Hoopa nodded before saying, "Well, if I was the one making the wish, I'd wish to be free from this lamp, no longer having to grant wishes to people," forcing a rather pathetic look and giving the sylph big sad puppy dog eyes.

Diancie did not even need to think twice about this one. She knew exactly what to wish for, and from that moment on, the two were partners.

While looking around the city one day, Hoopa had the biggest, most fiendish grin on his face while Diancie's cheeks were flushed pink, the sylph seeing this whole thing as her first date. Just the fact that Hoopa had chosen to stay with her instead of flying off on his own told her that maybe this was destiny, that the two were fated to spend their lives together.

Hoopa, meanwhile, was not thinking that at all. No, he saw how nice this world was and wanted to have it all for himself and thus he turned to Diancie and asked, "Say, Diancie, what would you do to make me really happy? Like, how far would you go?"

The sylph gave him a sweet smile and replied, "I'd do pretty much anything," the genie nodding and asking, "So, say I wanted control of a whole city, maybe even the world, and just had everyone bow down to me and respect me? Have them grant me wishes instead of the other way around. Would you help me do that?"

Diancie's eyes and mouth were wide open when she heard this, but when she gazed into Hoopa's eyes and saw just how serious he was about this, it was much harder to refuse. A part of her knew this was a bad idea, but it just felt right.

Deep down, she knew what Hoopa was going through. Doing nothing but grant wishes before being trapped in an oil lamp for all eternity sounded uneventful and boring. She wanted Hoopa to have his own life. For whatever reason, his happiness was the only thing that mattered to her.

As such, the sylph nodded and smiled, replying, "Yes. I'll help you. Together, we'll be able to pull this off. I even know of a secret location where villains train to fight heroes."

Hoopa had not expected a goody-two-shoes like Diancie to actually know that, but either way, this was perfect. And from that moment on, not only had the genie gained respect from a few villains but he also felt like he could defeat anyone with the knowledge he had obtained. And it also helped that he had formed an alliance with Vespiquen, the bee seeing him as perfect leader material.

Even Diancie, after a while, found herself liking a lot of the villains she and Hoopa worked with. Some were more friendly than one would have imagined and she was even surprised by just how many female villains there were, glad to know she was not among a minority. After a while, the sylph genuinely liked being a villain.

And her liking increased even more when she won her first match. When given her final exam to see if she was ready to go off and take on heroes, she went up against a creature that resembled a mongoose combined with a cat. Her name was Zangoose and she was a rather tough contender, to say the least.

She dished out a wide assortment of moves, striking Diancie constantly while barely taking in any hits herself. Nearing the end of the match, she had managed to knock the sylph on her back with her elbow before leaping high into the air and flipping herself upside-down with her claws pointed toward her belly, shouting, "DEATH CLAW!"

But just as she was about to strike, Diancie looked over and saw Hoopa folding his hands, shaking his head in disapproval at her performance. Seeing this, Diancie gritted her teeth and refused to let herself lose, encasing her hands in crystal and using them to block the incoming strike, her eyes wide open as she had no idea she could do that up to this point.

She then used this opportunity to force her opponent off of her, Zangoose flying into the air as Diancie performed a handstand, her legs transforming into her floatation diamond. And it would only get worse for her feline adversary as she exclaimed, "DIAMOND HARPOON!" piercing the creature's belly as she coughed up blood, passing out.

From that moment on, a life of villainy just felt right for her, and as long as it made Hoopa happy, she would continue to do this. But the two were uncertain how to debut their skills before noticing a tournament for heroes, this very Ultimate World Team Tournament. Hoopa saw this as the perfect opportunity. If they could pass off as heroes and defeat the strongest in the world, the people would have no choice but to fear and serve Hoopa.

"You were so easy to manipulate," Hoopa stated back in present time, Diancie not even sure how to feel at this moment as he continued, "Did you really think I had feelings for you? Come on, I only pretended to respect you because you were a valuable asset! In fact, before I saw the way you handled your first opponent, I was even considering ditching you for someone who would help me more in combat, but your skills were simply amazing and only got better from that point on! That was when I knew that your naivety was the greatest thing to ever happen to me!"

The crowd could not believe this as Machoke gritted his teeth, growling, "This guy just pisses me off even more," Gardevoir nodding and uttering, "I feel really sorry for Diancie."

The rest of the crowd seemed to agree. All this time, Diancie was not truly evil, just manipulated. One could only guess how devastated she must have been to find out Hoopa did not share her feelings and was only taking advantage of her.

And it only got worse as Hoopa added, "Even if I did find you attractive enough, I still wouldn't have fallen in love with you! I honestly think love is a waste of time! It gets in the way of what's important! It makes people change their entire lives, and I would never wish for that to happen! Oh, and when I told you we genies only grant one wish, that was a lie. I could have actually granted you two more, but you freed me from the lamp before I could."

Reika got up with fury in her expression, shouting, "LET ME AT HIM! I WANNA SOCK THAT GUY IN THE FACE!" Scyther nodding as Cici uttered, "I'm pretty sure you won't need to."

"Hey, Beedrill," Diancie uttered, turning toward the chairman as he blinked and asked, "Uh, yeah?" the sylph sighing, "You said that because Machoke accepted us breaking the rules, this match would be allowed to continue, right?"

The wasp nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's right," as the sylph turned to Hoopa and said, "You're right, this match will continue, but it'll be even harder for you because I'll be fighting alongside Machoke and Gardevoir," the Glamourous Fighting Machines smiling wide in response to this.

Hoopa frowned and retorted, "You can't do anything on your own, can you?" Diancie blinking as he gritted his teeth, a strange sensation coming over him as his body started to twitch, the genie exclaiming, "Well, fine! I don't need you anyway! You'll regret your decision to turn on me!" everyone else staring as Smeargle uttered, "What's going on?"

At that moment, Hoopa's skin turned blue as his teeth became sharp, those on the lower left and right side of his mouth becoming too long to stay in his mouth. His hands also changed as his big top fingers split in half, creating two thinner fingers, his thumbs transforming to look exactly the same. Black claws also formed on the ends of those very parts while his forearms started to look more human-like despite the hands still floating as opposed to being attached to him, the wrists and backs of the forearms covered with golden rings. And to top it all off, four more hands appeared, giving him a total of six.

But his transformation did not end there as his horns grew to six times their original length, now pointed outward as opposed to being arched upward. He also sprouted a pair of legs with feet that resembled ancient Arabian shoes, two rings bound to each ankle. His tail also grew in size to resemble that of a lizard, a spearhead formation appearing on the tip.

"Hoopa?" Diancie uttered as the genie's body started to grow until he was twice Machoke's size, his physique much more impressive. His ponytail became much larger and bushier as thin, purple fur appeared on the sides and back of his head, his chin becoming longer and slanted. In the middle of his face formed a pointed black snout, six tufts of pink fur that resembled flower petals covering the sides of his torso. And to top it all off, what appeared to be a small black hole appeared on his forehead while a much bigger one formed on his belly.

The crowd stared in horror, many kids in the audience looking uneasy as Diancie shook her head, uttering, "What happened to you?" Machoke remarking, "You mean you don't know?"

Looking at his new hands and gazing down at how much shorter everyone was compared to him, Hoopa grinned before letting out a loud, maniacal laugh, shouting, "OH MY GOD, THIS IS TOO PERFECT! I always felt like I had a greater power hidden within me, and now I know it's true! Yes! Now I really can rule this world all by myself! I might even be greater than Giratina himself!"

The crowd gasped as Machoke trembled and uttered, "No," Gardevoir biting her lip nervously. Even she was unsure whether or not they could stand up to him now.

However, Diancie put on a serious look and said, "I let you take advantage of me long enough. Now I'm going to help Machoke and Gardevoir defeat you," the two nodding as Machoke said, "Right, there's three of us now. That'll make things much easier."

"Well, in some odd turn of events, it looks as if Hoopa has transformed," Beedrill uttered as Nori asked, "Even with Diancie's help, can the Glamourous Fighting Machines possibly win this match?"

Machoke took a deep breath and gave Diancie a warm smile, saying, "Yeah, I think we can do this," the sylph nodding and letting down light tears, sniffing, "I'm sorry for all the horrible things I've done. We haven't gone as far as murder yet, but-"

"It's okay," Gardevoir replied with a sigh, "The point is that you realize what you were doing was wrong," the sylph wiping a tear and sniffing, "Really?" the girl nodding as Machoke shrugged and replied, "This isn't exactly a first for me. Ninetales was much worse than you were. At least you knew what you were doing was wrong."

It seemed many others in the audience were ready to give her a chance as well, Reika nodding and shouting, "Come on, Diancie! Show that guy just how wrong it is to break a girl's heart like that!"

Diancie had a light smile on her face as Hoopa rolled his eyes and remarked, "As if that's gonna happen!" the crowd gasping when the hole on his belly seemed to be an actual black hole as wind started to travel into it.

The sylph gasped as the genie pulled her in, wrapping his top to hands around her forehead, the lower hands around her midsection and the last two around her legs, exclaiming, "As I said earlier, you'll pay for turning on me!"

Before Machoke and Gardevoir could help their new ally, Hoopa proceeded to leap high above the ring before leaning backward, descending toward the mat and shouting, "BLACK HOLE SUPLEX!"

The crowd stared in horror as Diancie's head hit the canvas hard, Hoopa releasing his hold and leaping one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, landing on his feet and allowing the sylph to collapse, a big grin on his face. As if that was not enough, the collision with the mat had put multiple cracks in the diamonds atop Diancie's head, many surprised to see that breaking those was even possible when no one had even come close to that before.

Machoke trembled in terror as Diancie did not seem to be able to move after that, Beedrill saying, "What appears to be a simple suplex has been made much more powerful by the added force of Hoopa's additional hands. Will Diancie be able to get up from that?"

Luckily, the sylph had managed to recover, but she felt rather weak as Hoopa smirked and said, "Guess that wasn't quite good enough. Oh well, guess I'll have to take it one step further," only for Machoke and Gardevoir to leap at him, shouting, "OH NO YOU DON'T!"

Both rammed their arms into the back of Hoopa's neck, shouting, "DOUBLE MOON HOOK!" the genie wincing in pain but not falling like he would have before. And to make matters worse, he was more than ready to retaliate as he had one of his top arms swing around and take hold of a separate hero's face.

With that, he lifted them up and slammed both of their faces into the mat as the crowd grimaced, Reika trembling and uttering, "Oh no. Even with the extra help, he's become too strong," Florges and Smeargle trembling while embracing one-another.

All the while, in the hospital, Gallade, Hitmonchan, Blaziken and Aipom had suddenly recovered, all four witnessing this on the screen with looks of terror. Aipom, especially, wished she could move right now and head to the Tokyo Dome just to give Machoke some kind of support.

Even Talonflame tried to get up only to fall forward as his head still hurt too much, a nurse running in and gasping, "Mister Talonflame, sir, you need your rest!" the falcon retorting, "CAN IT!" slapping her hand to the side only to fall to one knee, breathing heavily and growling, "You'd better win, Machoke! You showed me the light! I'm sure you can do the same for him!"

Golduck was hoping the same thing as were many others tuning in from across the world. They did not wish to have someone so horrible rule over them, even if he did it all by himself. But not only that, they wanted Diancie to have her revenge.

Even Masquerain hoped that Diancie would win. Sure, she was uncertain whether or not she could ever forgive the sylph for what she did to her brain, but at the very least, she wanted to see a new hero take down this menace.

Diancie gritted her teeth and tried to help, but since Hoopa's other hands were still free, he managed to take hold of her arms with his middle hands while saying, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," before sending one of his lower fists into her gut, the sylph coughing up blood.

And it only got worse as Hoopa sent multiple punches into that exact spot, his upper hands returning to their original spot as he proceeded to use those on her face. Each second, more and more blood was drawn as the audience could do nothing but watch in stunned silence, Machoke and Gardevoir about to get up only for the genie to smack his tail hard into each one's back.

"Oh man, having a long tail is awesome!" the genie exclaimed with a maniacal laugh, using this chance to send the occasional punch into the diamonds atop Diancie's head. After all, now that he had cracked the material, he knew it would be weak, and it seemed he was right as the cracks continued to get bigger. Even the diamond on her forehead started to crack as she gritted her teeth, shouting, "DIAMOND HORN!"

This caused that particular diamond to stretch forward, creating a sharp spike thus piercing the next fist that hit it. As a result, Hoopa winced in pain, tightening his hold on her arms as he grunted, "No, I'm not going to let you go!" before chuckling and saying, "Oh, you wanted to hear me say that for so long, didn't you? Too bad I didn't use it in the context you would have liked."

Seeing the genie distracted by his own distasteful joke, Diancie's necklace glowed as she spat, "DIAMOND STORM!" sending diamonds out of it and into his chest at a rapid speed. This caused a tad more pain as Machoke and Gardevoir were able to recover, both nodding and taking hold of his tail.

Hoopa was about to ignore the pain and strike them both when Diancie managed to take advantage of the distraction, prying her arms out of his hands. She then landed against the mat and placed her hands against it, shouting, "GEM GROWTH!"

And sure enough, two small gems formed under Hoopa's feet, causing him to trip as Machoke and Gardevoir pulled back on his tail, causing him to fall flat on his chin while the crowd cheered. Even Nori was applauding this as she exclaimed, "And with their combined efforts, the Glamourous Fighting Machines have managed to bring Hoopa down!"

With that, Diancie started to breathe rather heavily but ignored this as she nodded at Machoke and Gardevoir, saying, "Come on, before he gets up," the two nodding back with big grins on their faces.

With that, Diancie leapt high above Hoopa, once again transforming her legs into her floatation diamond, positioning herself right above the genie. And it did not end there as both Machoke and Gardevoir leapt up to her level, flipping themselves upside-down on separate sides and placing their hands on her shoulders.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "And it would seem the trio has decided to finish off Hoopa in the same way he and Diancie took down Lucario and Clauncher!" the dog nodding and saying, "That might actually be enough to finish him off," Clauncher replied, "Yeah! It was painful, but it was also pretty awesome!"

Bisharp nodded and stated, "It would seem Diancie was the perfect ally for them," Scrafty sighing, "At least she didn't wait until the match was over to come around like we did."

The rest of the crowd was beyond ecstatic as the trio descended toward Hoopa's back, shouting, "DIAMOND METEOR!" but just as they were seconds away from piercing Hoopa's flesh, he regained consciousness just in time to swing all six of his arms back, binding them to Diancie to stop her descent.

The crowd gasped as luckily, he had not managed to completely stop her. Thanks to the combined weight of Machoke and Gardevoir, she managed to plant half the diamond into his back as blood squirted out.

However, her aim had been to go straight through, and it seemed failing to do so had in fact prevented the move from dealing nearly as much damage as she hoped it would. Thus Hoopa was able to pry her diamond out, Diancie struggling to free herself from his grip while Machoke and Gardevoir attempted to pry the hands off. That was soon put to a stop when Hoopa sent the backs of each top hand into their faces, applying just enough force to send them flying off of him, the two falling on their backs.

And once Diancie had been completely pried from his back, Hoopa had a look of anger on his face as he said, "I have to say, I'm actually impressed," before rising back up and flipping the sylph upside-down, "But you made a mistake using all of those diamonds earlier. You know as well as I do why you can't just use moves like Diamond Storm and Gem Growth repeatedly during matches."

Diancie gasped as Reika uttered, "So there is a reason she can't use those abilities at any given time," Hoopa nodding as sweat poured down Diancie's face, the genie adding, "Look at you. Just using those two abilities has sapped your strength greatly, and using that Diamond Meteor took even more out of you. You can't even fight me anymore, can you?"

Diancie trembled, a look of sadness on her face as Machoke and Gardevoir got up. However, Hoopa refused to let them interfere as he turned his backs to them, shouting, "SPEAR SWING!" whipping his tail back and forth while the spearhead formation put gashes on each one's torso, Gardevoir's red jersey ripped open in many areas now.

"Maybe if you'd chosen to oppose me at the beginning of the match, before all that damage was dealt to you, you could have stood a chance," Hoopa stated, "You still would have lost, but at least you would have put up a better fight!"

The crowd was truly in panic now as Hoopa ended his assault on Machoke and Gardevoir, leaping high above the ring as both tried their best to recover so they could help their new friend. But unfortunately, it was too late as Hoopa stated, "I just got me a great idea. I think I'll combine Machamp's most famous finishing moves."

No one could believe what they had just heard, but it made sense. After all, Machoke could not use Muscle Tombstone to its fullest effect due to him only having two arms, and while Machamp had a second pair, without a third, he could not pull off a combination of the Muscle Tombstone and Ultimate Driver and thus always kept both moves separate from each-other. But since Hoopa had six hands, this was definitely possible for him.

With that in mind, Hoopa latched his ankles around Diancie's neck, using his middle hands to pry her arms out. He then latched his upper hands around her torso while latching his lower hands to the area just under her arms.

And before anyone could figure out how to possibly get out of this, Hoopa exclaimed, "ULTIMATE MUSCLE TOMBSTONE!" planting her head hard into the mat as the cracks expanded, all of the diamonds on her head now shattering into many tiny fragments, her head bleeding as Hoopa released his hold on her, allowing her to collapse.

Machoke and Gardevoir both stared in horror at the sight of this, Hoopa grinning and snickering before breaking out into hysterics, shouting, "YES! DO YOU SEE THIS, WORLD!? THIS IS MY NEW POWER!" Machoke backing up as Gardevoir tried her best to comfort him despite feeling terrified herself.

Not only was Hoopa insanely powerful in this new state of his, but Diancie seemed to be down for the count. How could the Glamourous Fighting Machines possibly win?


	39. Chapter 39

Things had truly taken a turn for worse now. Hoopa had become even more frightening than ever before and had even destroyed Diancie's diamonds. And to top it all off, it seemed as if he had truly defeated her, the sylph unable to move.

All went silent among the crowd as Machoke and Gardevoir both stared at Diancie with concern and fear, Beedrill stating, "Hoopa was already a major threat before, but now it'll take a great amount of effort and strength to take him down. It looks as if he's already knocked out his own ally, so Machoke and Gardevoir will need to be careful to say the least."

Hoopa grinned wickedly at the duo and said, "That's gonna be you soon enough, Machoke. I'll admit, you are a strong adversary, and your partner's not half-bad either, but face it, you never stood a chance."

Gardevoir gritted her teeth and grunted, "Come on, Machoke, we can beat him!" the boy taking many deep breaths before nodding, saying, "Right. I'm not gonna let Diancie's efforts be in vain."

With that, Gardevoir leapt up onto the boy's hands as he propelled her high into the air, the girl aiming a two-legged kick for Hoopa's face. And while the genie prepared to counter this, Machoke headed toward his midsection. However, he realized this was a bad idea when suddenly, wind started to travel into the hole on his belly again, Machoke losing his balance and flying into it, now stuck in place as Hoopa latched his hands onto him like he had Diancie.

However, it seemed he had even more planned as suddenly, the hole on his head started to inhale air as well, Gardevoir squeaking in panic as her feet were soon lodged into that very spot. Kirlia got up and spat, "GARDEVOIR, GET OUT OF THAT!" Machamp shouting, "COME ON, SON, FIGHT IT!" the rest of the crowd cheering them on as well.

The two nodded as Gardevoir sent her elbows hard into Hoopa's skull, Machoke focusing hard and trying to expand his muscles like he had against Vespiquen. But the genie would not allow this as he leapt high into the air, saying, "Your efforts are useless."

He then leaned backward, descending toward the mat and shouting, "TWIN BLACK HOLE SUPLEX!" sending Gardevoir hard into the canvas seeing as she was still stuck in his forehead. And to make matters worse, Machoke's head was planted into her belly, thus not only did he take in pain from this, but the damage dealt to Gardevoir had been increased as she coughed up blood.

However, Hoopa did not intend to release his hold on the two yet as he continued to hold them in place with his black holes. And with that, he removed his hands from Machoke and rose to his feet, spinning around in a circle before ending the suction, sending both heroes into the turnbuckle. Machoke hit up against it first followed by Gardevoir slamming up against him, the boy cringing from the intense pain.

The crowd was horrified as Reika groaned, "Oh god, I thought for sure with all three working together, this would be easy! Hoopa's too strong! I don't think any hero would be strong enough to beat him!" Cici and Tsuya both holding onto each-other and trembling, Scyther just as uncertain that the Glamourous Fighting Machines could win this.

However, Keiko had a calm look on her face as she sighed, "Look, at the very least, Machoke will not fall. Trust me, the Mach family has a tendency to pull off true miracles, and not just because they're lucky but because when they get down to it, when the world is in true peril, they possess a spirit unmatched by anyone in the universe. Machamp showed it when facing his most powerful adversaries and I'm sure it'll be the same for Machoke. Don't lose hope yet."

With that, Machoke and Gardevoir slowly recovered, taking many deep breaths as the boy uttered, "You okay, honey?" Gardevoir nodding and replying, "Yeah, I think I can manage."

Hoopa broke out into hysterics, shouting, "OH MY GOD, THIS IS JUST RICH! YOU HONESTLY THINK YOU CAN ONE-UP ME IF YOU KEEP TRYING! COME ON, YOU CAN'T EVEN LIFT ME UP WHEN WORKING TOGETHER! WHAT CHANCE COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE!?"

Machoke refused to let this get to him as he spat, "Shut up! You may be strong, but I've faced many strong opponents before! And with Gardevoir by my side, you can't win!" Hoopa wiping a tear from his eye and sighing, "You're just too much."

With that, while Gardevoir's power had been wasted earlier, she felt a strange increase in strength along with Machoke. With that, both raced toward Hoopa as he readied his hands to counter them. But when he sent them forward, both picked up the pace just enough to avoid being grabbed, Hoopa's eyes widening as the two rammed their shoulders into his chest.

The crowd cheered as not only had the move hit, it had actually dealt more damage than Hoopa thought it would. And things got even better when the duo leapt up onto his shoulders, taking hold of them. Both then applied all of their might to pull on said parts, Hoopa's eyes widening as after a few seconds, the Glamourous Fighting Machines managed to pull him back, knocking him hard on his back, the genie wincing in pain.

And it did not end there as Machoke grinned, turning to Gardevoir and saying, "Come on, let's show him that team move we created," the girl nodding as she leapt high above the ring, arching her body back to resemble a quarter moon.

And soon enough, Machoke did the same as he leapt up to her level with his back facing hers, both latching their wrists and hands before spinning vertically, forming a big grey and green wheel in the air. Hoopa was just about to right himself back up when the two heroes descended toward his chest, shouting, "SOLAR MOON SLAM!" Machoke's belly ramming hard into that very spot.

The crowd cheered wildly as Hoopa coughed up blood, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. Even in his new state, his opponents had actually managed to draw blood. That should not have been possible no matter how much force they were using.

Reika's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "Wow! That was awesome!" the others nodding in agreement.

At the hospital, Gallade smiled and thought, 'Great job, sis,' Hitmonchan saying, "Wow, those two are so badass together."

Aipom had a light smile on her face as she thought, 'I definitely wouldn't have thought of that. Machoke, you've grown so much since I first met you.'

Talonflame and Golduck of course applauded all of this, but happiest of all to see such results was Masquerain. Her dimples implied a light smile as she really hoped this had been good enough to end the match once and for all.

Smeargle and Florges both hugged one-another, shouting, "TRES MAGNIFIQUE!" Lucario folding his arms and saying, "Well, not the most creative concept for a move, but it was clearly effective," Clauncher nodding with a big smile.

Everyone else was more than pleased with this as Nori stated, "And Machoke and Gardevoir have just found a way to double the strength of Machoke's Sunset Slam. Granted, they didn't use it entirely like one would expect them to, but they still pulled it off."

Gardevoir had a big smile on her face as Machoke turned to Hoopa, a look of shock when he noticed the genie did not seem to be moving. Had that been enough to finish him off? After all, he had taken in a lot of damage prior to his transformation, so maybe he did not have as much strength left as one would have expected.

Seeing this, Nori immediately started the ten count, the crowd now silent. This was truly intense as everyone hoped that the genie would not rise back up.

However, once Nori reached seven, Hoopa's eyes shot open as he immediately shifted his top hands behind his head, using them to right himself back up. His middle hands also pushed on his back once it was high enough not to potentially crush them.

The crowd gasped as Hoopa snapped his neck back and forth, Reika groaning, "Oh, come on! You're telling me after everything they've done, that wasn't enough!?" Keiko sighing, "Chill, Reika. I'm sure they can do more," Scyther nodding and replying, "Ja. That right there was a miracle in itself. I'm sure they can pull off more."

However, it was looking uncertain as Machoke's teeth chattered, the boy uttering, "Hey, honey, any ideas?" Gardevoir frowning and replying, "Nothing now, but we can't stop trying."

Hoopa snickered and turned to them, saying, "I have to admit, I'm actually impressed. I mean, I know you two have quite the reputation here in Tokyo, but man, I didn't think you'd be able to draw blood from my new, much stronger state! But, mark my words, this will be the last time you pull that off!"

Just as the Glamourous Fighting Machines were about to attempt something else, Hoopa proceeded to snap the fingers of all six of his hands, shouting, "HYPERSPACE FURY!" all six hands vanishing as their rings flew over to Machoke and Gardevoir, floating next to them on various angles.

Before anyone could even guess what was coming, the hands suddenly shot out of the holes like bullets in the form of fists, punching each hero hard. One struck Machoke in the cheek while another hit him in the gut, a third one punching him in the back. Meanwhile, Gardevoir took a punch to her shin, her forehead and her shoulder.

However, this was far from the end as the fists started to circle around the duo at a speed so fast, all anyone could see was blue streaks, the fists sending a barrage of hard punches to the heroes. Gardevoir held up her hands in an attempt to block them but to no avail while Machoke tried to wrap his arms around himself only to take a strike to each of those parts every time he tried.

"Oh no!" Reika groaned, "This is terrible!" the others not sure how either hero could possibly get out of this. Deep down, they just hoped the assault would not last until neither were able to stand.

Hoopa laughed maniacally, shouting, "Look at you! You're sitting ducks! I should have used this earlier!" the genie starting a breathe a bit harder as he thought, 'Oh, guess I can't keep this up all day after all. It's sapping my strength.'

With that in mind, Hoopa leapt in front of the Glamourous Fighting Machines, the rings returning to their respective hands as said parts latched onto their targets. The top hands were clasped onto each fighter's head, the middle ones held onto their waists and the lower hands held onto their legs.

"You two have been a much bigger pain than anticipated, but it's over now," Hoopa said with a smirk before leaping high above the mat, the crowd staring in horror while the genie flipped his opponents over, shouting, "TWIN CENTIPEDE PILEDRIVER!" slamming both their heads hard against the mat.

Everyone stared in horror as Machoke and Gardevoir's eyes rolled to the backs of their heads, Hoopa releasing his hold and allowing them to collapse.

Was this really the end? After all, Diancie still seemed to be out cold while the Glamourous Fighting Machines had clearly taken in too much damage to continue.

"You see this, people of Tokyo!?" Hoopa exclaimed with a big grin, "Even with all of their efforts combined, these three could not defeat me! People said Giratina was the biggest threat to all of mankind, but I've proven them wrong by defeating Tokyo's greatest hero! He put up a good fight, but in the end, this was inevitable!"

Nori and Beedrill both trembled, neither sure whether to bother with the ten count or not. It seemed official. Machoke and Gardevoir would not get up soon.

However, the odds of them getting up at all were starting to lower as Hoopa pointed his fingers as their chests, saying, "By the way, don't bother ringing that bell. I intend to kill these two right here and now. You can deny me the championship prize all you like because I couldn't care less about that. Having the planet at my beck and call is more than enough to make up for that."

At that moment, Reika got up from her seat and snapped, "COME ON, GUYS, GET UP! I KNOW THIS ISN'T ENOUGH TO TAKE YOU OUT FOR GOOD!" Tsuya and Cici nodding as they started to chant Machoke and Gardevoir's names.

And sure enough, the entire crowd was cheering for them, Scrafty barking, "Come on, Gardevoir! Where's that warrior princess who dealt me my first defeat!?" Bisharp adding, "And where's that powerful soldier of the ring who showed me the error of my ways!?"

Lucario nodded and barked, "Come on, Machoke! You took in my Riolu Torment and continued to stand! Surely this isn't enough to defeat you for good!"

Machoke started to twitch along with Gardevoir, the crowd smiling only for their happiness to turn back to fear when Hoopa lowered his fingers toward them, shouting, "AS IF I'D GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE TO RECOVER!"

But just as the claws were moments away from piercing their flesh, Hoopa and the crowd gasped in shock when a familiar female voice came from behind him shouting, "DIAMOND ROCKET!" a certain diamond piercing his back in the exact same spot that had been hit earlier. It still was not enough to pass all the way through him, but it certainly dealt pain as the crowd cheered wildly, absolutely amazed to see Diancie having recovered from all the pain dealt earlier.

"No," Hoopa uttered, his eyes and mouth wide in shock as Diancie shifted her upper body high enough to reach his chin, pulling back on it as Nori stated, "Not only has Diancie made a shocking recovery, but she has managed to catch Hoopa in a submission hold very similar to the one she had used on Machoke earlier."

Just as quickly as Hoopa's shock came, it left him as he smirked and said, "Oh, poor, naive Diancie. You of all people should know how stupid it is to use a submission hold on me!"

Diancie gasped, her eyes wide with shock as she knew the genie had a point, and this had been proven in the first round when Lucario had tried a submission hold of his own on the genie. And sure enough, Diancie met a similar fate as Hoopa's hands floated behind her, balling up into fists and ramming hard into her sides.

However, since her diamond was still stuck in his flesh, Hoopa had four of his hands grab hold of her waist and arms, prying her out. The crowd winced at the sight of blood flying out of that very spot, but Hoopa ignored it as he laughed, saying, "You are hilarious. I'm impressed that you were able to get up after all of that, but for your own good, you should have stayed down."

At this point, Diancie was too angry to be scared. Not only had Hoopa betrayed her trust, he had broken her heart. There was no way she would let him get away with that.

With this in mind, Diancie's eyes started to glow as she managed to free herself from the genie's grip, Hoopa turning to her and staring in stunned silence, the audience just as confused as he was. It seemed as if the sylph was undergoing a transformation of her own as the diamonds atop her head grew back, only the emerald on her forehead was shaped like a heart now. Two long earrings also appeared in the appropriate spot with two smaller diamonds floating near the bottom as if they were attached to a thin chain. Her dress widened on the bottom, the backside long enough to double as a wide tail, while the sleeves vanished, revealing delicate arms with the width of twigs. Her floatation diamond had been replaced by a big pink and white emerald while long gems grew out of the sides of her dress all the way to the back. Finally, two long wedding veils appeared on the sides of her head, going all the way down to her lowest diamond and floating in the air.

Hoopa stared in stunned silence, the rest of the crowd truly amazed as Nori said, "Not sure how it happened, but Diancie has undergone a transformation of her own," Beedrill nodding and adding, "One can only guess how this match will play out now."

However, Hoopa's shock left him just as quickly as it had appeared, the genie smirking and snickering. No one could believe this as it soon grew into maniacal laughter, Hoopa shouting, "What the hell is that!? Is this supposed to scare me!?"

Diancie stared in confusion as he continued, "Come on, my new form gave me muscles and extra hands! All yours did was make you look even more girly than before! Is this supposed to impress me!?"

"No, it's supposed to make you pay for everything you've done!" Diancie retorted, "I still can't believe it! All this time, you knew I was in love with you and you used me! But you know what!? I don't even care about that anymore!"

"Wait, you don't?" Hoopa uttered as the sylph sighed, "Yes, that is nothing more than a petty grudge. I simply can't allow you to enslave humanity. I can only assume it must have been horrible spending your whole life granting wishes for selfish people, but the fact that you're free from doing that should be enough! Making them serve you doesn't make you any better!"

Hoopa folded his hands like arms and blinked, asking, "You done? Seriously, did you honestly think I didn't know that?" Diancie sighing, "Well, as long as you're aware that what you're doing is wrong, I have no choice but to defeat you."

With that, the sylph spread her dress diamonds out, twirling toward the genie as he readied his hands to grab her. Sure, he knew his hands would bleed as a result of grabbing them, but that was a small price to pay to stop them from hitting his torso.

But when he took hold of them, Diancie continued to spin, his eyes wide with shock as the momentum provided more than enough force to cleave his thumbs, all six of those parts falling to the mat as the crowd cheered, Diancie shouting, "SUGARPLUM FAIRY SLASH!" putting a huge gash in Hoopa's midsection.

The genie winced, shocked by how much this hurt as Diancie's necklace glowed, the sylph shouting, "DIAMOND STORM!" sending multiple diamonds forward into Hoopa's face, the genie coughing up blood. His snout started to bleed as well, the crowd going wild as Nori exclaimed "And it seems this new form has increased Diancie's strength exponentially!" the sylph ending her assault by sending a diamond twice the size of the others hard into his forehead, causing him to fall hard on his back.

"Oh my god, Diancie might just win this!" Reika exclaimed as Cici nodded, squealing, "You're so cool, Diancie!" the sylph blushing lightly in response to this, the rest of the crowd cheering for her.

After having served evil for so long, she figured no one would be able to forgive her this easily, but she had the support of every member of the audience. There was no way she would let them down.

As such, she floated high above Hoopa and spread out her dress diamonds, the big emerald pointed at his midsection as she stated, "It's time to end this once and for all!" before descending toward him and barking, "EMERALD ASTEROID!"

But just as the stone was seconds away from striking the genie, Hoopa's eyes shot open as he immediately threw his hands upward, taking hold of Diancie's shoulders, sides and waist, pulling up with just enough force to stop her descent. All went silent as a smirk formed on his face, Diancie trembling while struggling to free herself.

The genie then rose to his feet and said, "I have to admit, you're a lot tougher than you look, but I'm still far superior to you in every way. Admit it, you never stood a chance against me, not for a second!"

Light tears rolled down Diancie's cheeks as the genie leapt high into the air, latching onto her neck, torso and area under her arms, spreading out those very parts just like he had done before. The crowd stared in horror, knowing exactly what was coming as he spat, "THIS TIME, ACTUALLY STAY DOWN! ULTIMATE MUSCLE TOMBSTONE!" ramming Diancie's head hard into the mat.

That was that. It seemed as if all hope was lost now as Diancie passed out, reverting back to her original form, the stones on her head once again gone. There was no doubt about it. The sylph was down for the count as Hoopa broke out into hysterics.

"Yes!" the genie exclaimed with a big grin, "Now nothing can stop me!" only for his grin to fade when he heard a familiar voice retorting, "Hey, we're still here, you know!" the genie slowly turning as the crowd cheered, Machoke and Gardevoir having just regained consciousness. However, it took a lot just for them to stand, and it showed as both were breathing heavily, trying their hardest to stay up.

Hoopa let out a sigh and shrugged his hands, shaking his head and asking, "Why can't you just accept your fate? I mean, look at you," the crowd unsure how to feel about this, "It's obvious that just standing is taking every ounce of strength you have left. If you surrender, I might actually spare your lives. Heck, it'll be fun whipping you two around and giving you orders."

Hearing this, Machoke gritted his teeth as he spat, "No!" clenching is fists, "You can tare us limb from limb, but we're not giving up! My father may not have always had his head in the game, but when lives were at stake, he would do everything in his power to make sure the people could live their lives in peace! I would rather die than see the world bow down to you or any other villain for that matter!"

Gardevoir nodded and squeaked, "I didn't train all this time to let people like you walk all over us!" the crowd cheering as Reika nodded and said, "Well spoken."

Kirlia folded her arms, thinking, 'I'm so proud of you, Gardevoir,' while Machamp and Kala both applauded their son, though they also hoped that he could back up his words. After all, he had suffered three very close calls throughout the match up to this point. It was clear that Hoopa really was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.

Even so, there was no way Machoke and Gardevoir would lose as the strange flow of power shown earlier returned, only it was much more prominent. Each fighter's muscles expanded just enough for Hoopa to notice a different, the genie thinking, 'No, it's not possible! I won't let them get the drop on me again! Even without thumbs, I can still defeat them!'

With that, Hoopa sent all six fists toward them at a rapid speed only for Machoke and Gardevoir to display a great deal of speed never seen before. Each used two hands to grab hold of two of Hoopa's, using all four to block the remaining two thus causing Hoopa to hurt himself, the genie wincing. And it did not end there as the two leapt up to his shoulders, once again taking hold of them. But unlike last time, the two pulled on said parts, forcing the genie to fall forward as they planted their feet into his gut, sending him high above the ring.

The crowd stared as Hoopa's eyes and mouth were wide open, the genie thinking, 'How can this be? How can they be this strong!? It took so much for them to do this before and yet they managed to pull it off with little effort!'

And things would only get worse for him as just as the genie was about to come up with some way to prevent himself from succumbing to further damage, Gardevoir and Machoke ran toward the opposite sides of the ring. Each one leapt atop a different top rope, the two propelling themselves toward Hoopa.

The crowd was truly amazed and fascinated to see what would come next as Machoke rolled up into a ball, spinning vertically toward Hoopa's back. While this happened, Gardevoir leaned forward, creating an arch formation and spun toward the genie like a boomerang.

Before Hoopa could even figure out what was going on, Machoke rammed hard into his back, Gardevoir's back ramming hard into his belly. And with that, the boy reverted to a more normal state before reaching his arms and legs back, latching onto Hoopa's chin and ankles while Gardevoir bent her body back, forming the same quarter moon shape she had before and latching onto his shoulders with her legs and the backs of his knees with her hands.

The crowd went wild as Nori exclaimed, "Could it be another upgrade to the Sunset Slam!?" Machoke asking, "Hey, Gardevoir, did you just come up with that?" the girl nodding and replying, "Yeah. Your ability to come up with impressive abilities on the spot has kinda rubbed off on me."

Hoopa gritted his teeth and spat, "NO! I WON'T ACCEPT THIS!" but before he could shift his hands to attack the Glamourous Fighting Machines, the two used all their might to spin his body around like a giant wheel, and thus the genie was unable to focus on moving his hands, Machoke and Gardevoir shouting, "NIGHT AND DAY MUSCLE PRESS!"

With that, all three descended toward the mat at an incredible speed, the crowd cheering wildly, Lucario grinning while the others had the biggest smiles they could muster. Machamp, Kala, Kirlia and even Combusken could not contain their excitement, Riolu trying his hardest to look professional until he noticed even Greninja and Bouffalant getting into the moment.

And sure enough, a cloud of smoke covered the area when the living wheel made contact with the mat. Everyone stared in stunned silence, Aipom watching this while biting her lower lip, thinking, 'Please let this work.'

The others were just as invested in this, Golduck saying, "That had to have been enough."

Talonflame looked at this with a smirk, stating, "The original Sunset Slam was an incredible move. That looks even more impressive."

And once the smoke cleared, it was just as everyone figured. Hoopa's skull had been planted hard into the mat while Machoke and Gardevoir continued to hold onto him. And after a few seconds, the two released their hold on the genie, stepping to the side and allowing him to collapse, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his hands had stopped moving for good.

The area was now silent as Reika cupped her hands together, Keiko smiling, certain this had done it. And with that, Nori turned to Beedrill, the wasp nodding at her as she started the ten count. And once she reached two, the audience started to join in, all of the people counting in sync with the announcer.

Kirlia turned to Machoke as the two gave each-other a thumb up, both more than proud of their kids at this moment. And sure enough, Nori reached ten as she rang the bell, exclaiming, "And after the longest, most intense match in the entire Ultimate World Team Tournament, the winners and champions are the Glamourous Fighting Machines, Machoke and Gardevoir!"

The crowd went wild, the entire Tokyo Dome filling up with cheers and applause. Machoke and Gardevoir both rose their arms in the air, the two turning toward one-another with big grins on their faces. Some expected them to pass out much like Machoke had after his fight with Giratina seeing as they had taken in a far worse beating than the boy had during that match, and yet despite all of that, they still had the energy to bask in the audience's cheers.

"I knew they could do it," Lucario said as Scrafty exclaimed, "WAY TO GO, GUYS! YOU'RE AWESOME!" Bisharp nodding and stating, "Good show! That was absolutely splendid!"

"They really did it," Cici uttered, breathing a sigh of relief as Tsuya asked, "Was there ever any doubt?" Reika and Scyther both whistling at Machoke and Gardevoir.

However, the cheering ended when everyone noticed something even more relieving. Much like when Diancie lost, Hoopa had reverted to his original form, but unlike Diancie, the genie seemed to have enough strength to move as he slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his head and groaning, "Oh god, that was painful!"

However, he gasped when he could no longer feel his new flesh against his head, looking at his hand to notice his skin had reverted to its original colour and he now had one big finger and a thumb as opposed to two normal-sized fingers. In fact, the thumbs that had been cut off earlier had magically vanished when he changed back.

"No," he uttered, breathing heavily as Nori stated, "I hate to break it to you, Hoopa, but you've officially lost this match," the genie shaking his head as he uttered, "No! It can't be! You can't defeat me!" all of the damage taking a serious toll on him now as his eyes widened, the genie coughing up blood and falling on his back, his head tilted sideways.

Now there was no doubt about it. Machoke and Gardevoir had saved not just Tokyo but the whole world from Hoopa, the two grinning and slapping their hands together, holding them tight. No one could have asked for a better result.


	40. Chapter 40

The final match of the Ultimate World Team Tournament had been long and rough. Machoke and Gardevoir had come so close to failure multiple times and yet the two had managed to face all odds, ultimately defeating Hoopa and preventing him from taking control of the entire world. Sure, Diancie was still unconscious, but she certainly would have been happy to see this.

And of course, everyone in the crowd was ecstatic as a team of police officers from Hero Planet entered the area. As it just so happened, Beedrill had secretly called them up shortly after Hoopa's revelation just so he could be sent to prison immediately if the Glamourous Fighting Machines managed to beat him.

And sure enough, Hoopa's hands were bound together with special handcuffs, these ones carrying a third chain, its shackle attached to the genie's neck. That way he could not use his hands to attack someone with ease.

Though even if he could, he was trapped now as he was carried out of the Tokyo Dome, soon to be loaded up onto a Hero Planet ship to be taken to said planet's prison. And all Machoke could do was watch and hope that maybe someday, the genie would learn his lesson and fight for the side of good instead. After all, that had happened to so many villains defeated by Machoke over the past, so it was possible.

However, it was still hard to ignore the fact that he and Gardevoir had just been deemed the tournament champions and thus the two grinned and embraced one-another, the crowd applauding them as they shared a big kiss, Nori letting down light tears and sniffing, "Leave it to Machoke to give us the greatest match in history. And with their victory, this tournament has come to a close. Show our champions what they've won."

Beedrill nodded and pulled out a big trophy with an image of two people standing side-by-side, holding their fists high in the air. The wasp then flew over to the duo and handed them the trophy, saying, "Here's to the greatest team in the Ultimate World Team Tournament," the crowd once again going wild as Machoke and Gardevoir held the trophy up with pride, Smeargle and Florges applauding them.

However, Machoke's happiness quickly turned to shock when he turned and noticed Diancie being loaded up onto a stretcher, the boy asking, "Hey, Beedrill, are you going to send her to prison after she recovers? I know she once served evil-" the wasp sighing, "Look, she was being manipulated. It's not like Ninetales and Talonflame where they knew full-well how serious their actions were. As a criminal, she will serve time, but I will subject her to community service. Honestly, I can't bring myself to put her behind bars."

Machoke breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Thanks, man," Beedrill nodding and saying, "But seriously, congrats on the victory. I really hope we can one day have a true rematch, one where I'm the one facing you and not an imposter," the two laughing in response to this.

And sure enough, things soon turned out a lot better. After another week, every hero still in the hospital managed to recover, save for Masquerain who still had a ways to go. But with the level of consciousness she was showing, the doctors predicted it would only take her a month to regain full control of her actions, which felt like a true miracle. Needless to say, Florges and Smeargle were very happy to hear this.

Once Blaziken, Gallade, Hitmonchan and Aipom had made a full recovery, the first thing they all did was meet up with Machoke and the others to spend time in the club. Needless to say, the owner had prepared a big party in celebration of Machoke and Gardevoir's victory. They would have held it sooner, but Machoke figured it would be unfair not to have everyone present to enjoy it.

All of the heroes invited had come dressed up for the occasion. As usual, Machoke wore a T-shirt and pants. As for Gardevoir, while her jersey had been damaged, many told her she looked cooler with it ripped in its various places and thus she decided not to have this one replaced. Gallade settled for pants as he felt no need to dress up as Hitmonchan always wore her boxing outfit anyway, so she had no need to change.

Scyther wore a nice T-shirt and shorts, she and Reika holding hands while seated next to each-other. Heracross felt no need to wear anything while Lopunny had a black T-shirt and matching shorts on. As for the rhino beetle's horn, the doctors had managed to reattach it with very strong bandages, but that was the best they could do. They had tried to sew it on, but all that did was bend the needle.

Talonflame was dressed in a cool outfit of his own, Tsuya, as usual, fawning over him. However, she decided to tone it down a bit as Cici told her not to come on so strong, the falcon actually enjoying this to a certain degree. Though it was far too early to just decide that she might be worth it after all.

Aipom had even been invited, the monkey dressed in a small shirt of her own, even sporting a baseball cap. Needless to say, everyone found her positively adorable while she was just happy to finally join Machoke and his friends here. She had always secretly wanted to come to the club but never mustered up the courage to agree to come along whenever anyone offered. After all, she always tried to pass herself off as more mature than her age suggested.

Even Hawlucha had been given time off as he and his family had come to join into the celebration. And with Isabel having warmed up to Machoke, she was more than happy to hang out with him. And of course, Smeargle and Florges had arrived as well, the two having revealed their new-found affection toward each-other a few days ago.

Bisharp and Scrafty were there as well along with Lucario and Clauncher. They had intended on taking a trip back to England soon, but with the offer of a party, it was hard to refuse. Lucario's only regret was that Amanda could not be here to enjoy this with him.

Either way, the friends were all having a great time as Heracross said, "I can see why you guys like hanging around here so much," Lopunny nodding and saying, "It's so small and simple and yet it has really nice atmosphere."

"That and a karaoke machine," Clauncher replied as Florges had spent the last ten minutes singing a variety of different songs, the people all loving it while Smeargle applauded her, shouting, "Bravo! You are magnifique as always, Florges!" blowing her a kiss.

Gardevoir gave them a sweet smile and squealed, "It's funny, I never actually detected that kind of connection between them!" Machoke nodding and uttering, "Yeah, I thought for sure they were just friends."

He was then surprised when Lucario sat next to him, holding up a glass of scotch and saying, "Cheers," Machoke blinking and holding up his fruit punch, saying, "Yeah," clinking his glass against his, the dog chuckling and replying, "Guess you're officially better than me now."

"I wouldn't go that far," Machoke replied with a shrug, "I didn't even get to face you," the dog nodding and replying, "Still, I lost to Hoopa while he was in his normal state. You beat him in a much more powerful form, you and Gardevoir," before redirecting his gaze at the girl and adding, "I guess that makes you better than me as well."

The girl's cheeks flushed pink as she uttered, "Well, he was fighting on his own at that point," Machoke nodding and adding, "She's right, not to mention Diancie helped us out as well," Lucario sighing, "Will you just take my compliment?"

The two then broke out into hysterics as Aipom pulled out her cellphone, squealing, "Alright, everyone!" tilting it sideways, "Come together for a group photo!" all of the heroes along with Reika and her friends doing just as instructed.

While it was difficult, they all managed to fit just well enough for the phone's screen to capture all of them, Aipom exclaiming, "Say cheese!" most of them saying it save for Talonflame who figured he had much more dignity than that, but not too much to give a cool smirk to the camera while Aipom took a photo.

And from that point on, things only got better. Masquerain eventually recovered, and while it was not quite as fast as the doctors predicted, the recovery still took a lot shorter than one would have expected.

With Tsuya having actually matured lately, her feelings for Talonflame extending into more than just infatuation, the falcon starting to come around and see her as a good mate. At one point, he even agreed to come to Tokyo just to go on a first date with her, though this was mostly to shut her up. However, she wound up being so much fun to be around, even having more in common with him than he would have ever expected that he eventually started to develop the very feelings no one would have ever expected someone like him to be capable of possessing.

Eventually, Diancie's community service was over as she proved herself more than worthy of being a hero on Earth, and she decided to help the community to make up for all of her past mistakes. And strangely enough, it did not take as long for her to be accepted as one would have expected. And during that time, she had grown some long pink pair to replace the diamonds that had been shattered.

As for the Hoopa, he unfortunately did not change his ways. He swore that if he ever broke out of prison, he would attempt to enslave mankind again, but luckily, his handcuffs prevented that from ever happening meaning he would be stuck in prison for life.

Unfortunately, no one was able to find Vespiquen. Wherever the bee had gone, it seemed no actions from her had been reported on the news, so at the very least, she was not exactly performing villainous deeds. But this did not change the fact that she was still a fugitive and that if anyone found her, they would do whatever they could to make sure she would be sent to prison for working with Hoopa.

And of course, during all of this time, Machoke and Gardevoir continued to love each-other. And when Gardevoir turned eighteen, Machoke presented her a wedding ring as her birthday present, the woman beyond thrilled to have received this, giving him the biggest hug he had ever received.

Needless to say, Machamp was absolutely thrilled when he heard the news as were Kirlia and Ralts. To think that their kids would be married after having just entered adulthood. And at the very least, they had spent enough time with each-other to know this was right.

Of course, Machoke wasted no time inviting everyone close to him to the wedding, including all of his friends at the club. Needless to say, none of them would miss this for the world.

With Aipom being too old to be the flower girl at this point, what with her being in her young teens, Hawlucha had agreed to ask Lea if she could fill the position, and needless to say, she was more than excited to do this. As for the ring bearer, luckily, Reika had a cousin named Joji who was more than up to the task. In fact, he and Machoke had hung out a few times during the last couple of years, so he definitely knew and respected the man enough to bear the ring at his wedding.

Gallade was naturally the best man while Blaziken had volunteered to be the maid of honour. After all, she would not allow anyone else to fill that role even if the maid title did seem a tad unfitting for her.

And sure enough, many had arrived for the big day as Machoke was in the back, being suited up with Lucario helping him out, the man asking, "Be honestly, is this too fancy?" the dog rolling his eyes and remarking, "Come on, Machoke, you look great. Besides, Gardevoir will love you no matter what," the man nodding with a grin and replying, "Yeah, you're right."

All the while, Gardevoir was much more nervous than Machoke as all of her female friends were helping her with her dress. Luckily for her, it was no longer required that all wedding dresses had to be white, so she was able to get a black dress, the woman having picked that colour simply because it matched the first jersey Machoke had bought for her. A part of her originally wanted a red one to match the new top, but she felt like an homage to the first time she ever won a match on Earth would be much more appropriate.

"So, how do I look?" she asked, twirling around as Blaziken smirked, nodding her head and replying, "A true vision if I ever saw one. In fact, I'm actually kinda jealous," the chicken letting out a sigh as Gardevoir giggled and replied, "Don't worry, you'll find someone. I mean, Talonflame has a girlfriend now, right?"

Blaziken slowly nodded and replied, "Don't forget, though, Tsuya started crushing on him first," before tapping her chin and adding, "Now that you mention it, that does make my chances look higher."

The seats were all filled as Machamp pulled on his tie, asking, "How do I look, honey?" Kala rolling her eyes and replying, "You act as if it's your wedding," the man laughing nervously and sighing, "Well, if I don't look good enough, I may end up embarrassing Machoke."

Diancie was also among the crowd along with Beedrill and Butterfree. Thanks to Beedrill's new rules, even he as chairman could take a break from work every now and then granted he return to business as soon as something major came up. Besides, even if this was going too far, there was no way he would miss Machoke's wedding.

Meanwhile, Ralts groaned as he wound up in the middle row. This would have been fine if he was not significantly shorter than every other member of his family, not to mention that the person seated in front of him was really tall.

Seeing this, Kirlia rolled her eyes and said, "Here, darling," reaching into a bag she had brought and pulling out five rather large books, Ralts smiling and saying, "Honey, you're the best," the man now seated on top of them thus giving him just enough height to see the podium.

Hitmonchan looked at Gallade standing next to that very object with a sigh, saying, "One day, this is gonna be us with Tyrogue as the best man," Cici turning and asking, "Why not Hitmonlee?" the boxer replying, "Are you kidding? He and romance mix about as well as ketchup and chocolate."

Soon enough, it was time for the event to start as a priest from Hero Planet walked up to the stand. As he stood behind the podium, he cleared his throat and said, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join two heroes in holy matrimony. May the groom come to the stand?"

As Machoke entered the area with his fancy suit on, many turned and cheered for him, some even whistling. His father grinned and gave him all four thumbs up, Kala giving him a look as if to say 'Looking sharp, son.'

Machoke smiled as his nervousness left him, the man taking to the stage as the priest asked, "And will the bride come to the stand?"

Gardevoir entered looking the most beautiful she ever had. Of course, with her hair unable to stay any different than usual, it had not been dressed in the slightest, but that did not matter as many felt her hair looked perfect just the way it was. But when Machoke saw her in her dress, his heart raced faster than ever before, a big open-mouth smile on his face.

Kirlia and Ralts let down tears already. A part of them had trouble believing that they were already seeing a kid in the family wearing a wedding outfit, and they knew Gallade would soon sport his own wedding suit soon enough.

Following behind Gardevoir was Lea, throwing out flowers as Hawlucha's mother squealed, "Oh, she looks so adorable!" the parrot nodding and adding, "Si. I still can't believe a member of our family was chosen for this."

Isabel nodded and sighed, "Gardevoir sure is lucky. Machoke spared no expense."

As Gardevoir took to the stand, she and Machoke looked deep into each-other's eyes as Joji brought the ring on a small pillow, handing it over to Machoke with a grin. He then gave the man a thumb up as Machoke nodded and slipped the ring onto Gardevoir's finger.

The priest carried on with his speech as soon enough, it was time for the big moment as he asked, "Do you, Machoke, take this woman, Gardevoir, to be your lawfully wedded wife from now until death do you part?"

Machoke nodded and replied, "I do," the priest asking Gardevoir the same as she squealed, "Yes, I do."

The priest nodded as he stated, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," Machoke and Gardevoir both wrapping their arms around each-other, sharing a long kiss while the guests all cheered and applauded the two.

Machamp let down the most waterworks of anyone else there as Kala patted him on the shoulder, wiping her own tears and sniffing, "Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?"

And soon enough, Gardevoir threw a bouquet of flowers as Aipom ended up catching it, her cheeks bright pink as she squeaked, "Me!?" her friends all clapping and congratulating her.

Sure, the monkey did not completely believe superstition and less-than-realistic beliefs, yet the very idea that she could very well be the next of her friends to marry made her wonder if entering the dating scene might be worth it. After all, she had only just recently hit puberty, so it was not too unrealistic to at least believe it might happen to her someday, though she did seriously doubt that she would be the next in the group. That honour was already set to go to Hitmonchan next year and she would have felt bad having to make her wait at least four years for that to happen.

But with all said and done, the wedding reception had been a success as everyone had a piece of the beautiful wedding cake. And once that was over, Machoke and Gardevoir headed out of the church toward a limo, both holding hands as Gardevoir did not wish for her new husband to have to carry her. But needless to say, this was the happiest moment of her life and Machoke intended to fill the rest of it with even more happy memories.

Ten years passed with life only getting better for everyone. It seemed that after a while, evil had just stopped and thus the heroes no longer needed to focus on fighting and instead made a living off of real jobs. Though they never stopped training every now and then as fighting in the ring had been quite thrilling for most of them, especially Smeargle whose new power never left him thus resulting in him having gone from the weakest Hero Planet graduate to a genuine powerhouse. In fact, he had earned himself quite the reputation as of late, especially when he had been awarded the third place trophy way back in the Ultimate World Team Tournament.

Of course, during this time, just about every hero had settled down with someone. Gallade and Hitmonchan had their wedding almost a year after Machoke and Gardevoir's, Gallade going to extreme lengths to make it the best he could.

Scyther and Reika had a beautiful wedding that, despite the controversy, no one would dare not support. As for Talonflame and Tsuya, the falcon did not want a big, fancy wedding and Tsuya, having matured a lot, did not wish to force him into it. And as a result, the two became common-law partners with Talonflame having moved into Tsuya's new house.

Aipom, at the age of nineteen had even started dating a nice young man named Takashi and soon enough, they were married as well. And it was not long until many others followed.

Though quite possibly one of the biggest events was the big day, exactly ten years later on Gardevoir and Machoke's anniversary. It had been nine months since Machoke had impregnated Gardevoir and needless to say, all of his friends living in Tokyo had to be there to see the big moment, the birth of their new child.

And after hours on end of nothing but pain, Gardevoir was breathing heavily with a light smile on her face, tears rolling down her cheeks as Machoke grinned, cradling his new baby girl, a grey lizard-like creature with ridges just like his. The only major difference as far as appearance went was that, for whatever reason, she was the first in the Mach family to ever have a tail.

"Wow, this is so cool," he said with a grin as the baby stared at him, Gardevoir nodding as her smile brightened, the man holding his new child up and saying, "Welcome to Tokyo, Machop."


End file.
